With the 2020 NFL Draft just around the corner, it’s time to come down the home stretch with my first — and last — big board. This board is Las Vegas Raiders-specific, so you’ll see a bunch of high-level prospects that don’t make my board for one reason or another.
The biggest omission is the entire class of offensive tackles. The Raiders have their two tackles of the present and future, so there’s not a chance the Raiders take one anywhere in the first two rounds. I heard this draft season that the motto “best player available” is a nice-sounding myth — teams have to factor in need, and that applies here.
So without further ado, here’s my top 30:
1. Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
2. Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
3. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
4. Isaiah Simmons, LB/S, Clemson
This first group is made up of the 0%-ers. Meaning? Zero percent chance the Raiders will find any of them on the board at No. 12. I don’t think it’s crazy to think the Raiders may explore trading up if any of these guys last until around 9, but again: incredibly unlikely.
5. Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
If you want to pray for something on draft night, I’d pray that Brown drops. It’s not a 0% chance, but it’s incredibly small. He plays a position of need on the roster and is an elite talent that could fall if quarterback and offenive tackle needy teams get desperate.
6. CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
By all accounts there is a big drop off among corners after Henderson, which is why he leaps over the three receivers on my board. I’d prefer Henderson+ a guy like Justin Jefferson than getting my pick of the top three receivers and being stuck with a tier-three corner.
7. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
8. Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama
9. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
Here’s how I’ve got the receivers, although I nearly put all three as tied. I think they’re that close. I like Jeudy the best because I know he’ll get open, Ruggs is next because I think he’s another sure-thing. Lamb unquestionably has the highest ceiling, but also the lowest floor I think, putting him third. Moral of the story: I’d be thrilled with any of the three of them.
10. Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
11. Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
Kinlaw is a guy who makes a lot of sense for the Raiders, but Vic Tafur of The Athletic keeps insisting they aren’t interested. We’ll see if that’s a smokescreen (he was right about them being off of Josh Allen last year). Jefferson is WR4 for me, and while there’s a substantial drop-off between Lamb and Jefferson, I still think Jefferson could be a really, really good receiver in the NFL.
12. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Talent-wise, he’s as good as Burrow. But the injury concerns are terrifying. This feels too high for him the more I think about it.
13. K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU
14. Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
After talking with Jim Nagy, I like Mims more and more. Is this a guy getting hurt because he played at Baylor and not Oklahoma or Alabama? He has the size and speed, and his performance at the Senior Bowl was impressive (albeit among lesser competition).
15. Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
Mike Renner of PFF pounds the table for this guy, and that’s good enough for me. If Henderson is gone, Fulton comes from the type of program the Raiders love.
16. Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
17. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
18. Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
19. AJ Terrell, CB, Clemson
20. Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
21. Grant Delpit, S, LSU
I don’t think Herbert is around at No. 12, but I would have been fascinated to see if the Raiders would have been interested if not for Mariota. Aiyuk is a project that I’m not sure Jon Gruden has the patience for, but he has the raw ability that matches up with all of the guys ahead of him.
Then there’s the next tier of defensive backs. I like McKinney a lot, but with a short-term answer signed at safety, I can’t imagine they’d love to pick a safety with a first-round pick.
22. AJ Epenesa, DE, Iowa
23. Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
24. Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
No needs here, just really talented football players. Don’t see them drafting a linebacker, especially with a couple of long-term answers (hopefully) signed via free agency.
25. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, USC
26. Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah
27. Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois
28. Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU
Four fascinating names here. I think Pittman is getting slept on a bit too much, and while he’ll probably fall because of the depth at WR, he’s going to be a stud. Johnson was the best corner on the west coast this season — basically never getting thrown at. He also thinks the Raiders are going to draft him.
Chinn is the bootleg Isaiah Simmons, and Blacklock is another big defensive tackle that wouldn’t be a sexy pick but would reinforce the team in the trenches.
29. Antoine Winfield, S, Minnesota
30. Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia
Fromm at No. 30 might feel crazy, but I just like this guy. He beat out Justin Fields and Jacob Eason despite lacking the raw ability they had. Yes, he lacks physical tools, but he has everything else in spades. I keep coming back to him as a guy I think Gruden would like — the question is whether they’d want to use a third-round pick on him or not.
