The Las Vegas Raiders managed to strike gold with their promising rookie class in 2019 and are hoping to do it again in the 2020 NFL Draft.
They took full advantage of their three first-rounders by securing a bonafide workhorse in running back Josh Jacobs to serve as the focal point of the offense. They topped it off with a couple of integral pieces of their defense in defensive end Clelin Ferrell and safety Johnathan Abram.
Of course, the Raiders did not stop there as they also were able to uncover a few hidden gems in the later rounds such as defensive end Maxx Crosby, cornerback Trayvon Mullen and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. Despite being overlooked, all three players have provided the team with some unexpected, foundational pieces on both sides of the ball.
Las Vegas will be getting all their work done early this year after parting ways with their sixth and seventh-round picks. The Chicago Bears will acquire the No. 226 pick while the Green Bay Packers get No. 192 thanks to the trade for wide receiver Trevor Davis, who wound up being waived a few weeks later.
Fortunately, general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden have good reason to be confident that they can take care of business in the first five rounds given how well they did in their first year together. They will need to replicate their success if they hope to fill the number of notable voids currently on their roster and kick things up a notch in the 2020 NFL season.
It is no secret that the Raiders are in desperate need of some more firepower on the outside and this year’s drafts is expected to produce one of the richest receiver classes in recent history. Meanwhile, Mayock has not been shy about acknowledging the linebacker corps as a point of emphasis.
Here are the complete draft picks at the disposal for the Raiders this year as they were made official by the league:
Round 1 No. 12 overall
Round 1 No. 19 overall (from Chicago Bears)
Round 3 No. 80 overall
Round 3 No. 81 overall (from Chicago Bears)
Round 3 No. 91 overall (from Seattle Seahawks through Houston Texans)
Round 4 No. 121 overall
Round 5 No. 159 overall
