With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic altering the sports landscape, the 2020 NFL Draft will be held virtually, an unfortunate circumstance for the Las Vegas Raiders as it was supposed to be held in their new city.
Despite the situation, the Raiders are still going to be in good shape as the they own eight total selections with five of them within the top-100. Las Vegas owns two picks in the first round and Mike Mayock will have plenty of options at both spots to help rebuild the roster the way he and Jon Gruden see fit.
One of the most pressing areas of need for the Raiders is at wide receiver. It’s no secret that they lack a true No. 1 option on the outside for Derek Carr to throw to. The pass catching corps for Las Vegas is currently headlined by Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow and Tyrell Williams, so it only makes sense for the team to look for their wideout of the future in what is considered to be one of the deepest receiver classes to date.
Henry Ruggs III of Alabama has been touted as one of the three best receivers in this draft and according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, it seems the Raiders have checked in often on him:
For Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs III, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds at the Scouting Combine, he told #PFTPM that three teams have been “constantly” contacting him: The Raiders, the Broncos, and the 49ers.
Ruggs is an ideal fit for the Silver and Black as he has more than enough speed to get downfield and take the top off the defense, but he also possesses sure hands and is able to adjust to off-target throws. The Raiders’ first selection is at No. 12 and Ruggs should be available as most scouts and analysts have Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb ahead of him.
Fortunately for Las Vegas, they may have their choice of all three as the teams ahead of them will most likely fill other skill positions barring any trades. Each one brings a dynamic skill set and no matter who the Raiders draft they will be grabbing a stud with talent in spades.
Despite their reported interest in Ruggs, Mayock may find it more beneficial to trade down using one of their first round selections as the receiver talent is deep and they can likely find contributors later in the round or on Day 2. It will be interesting to see how the draft shakes out once the day arrives.
