The Las Vegas Raiders have a number of voids to address on both sides of the ball if they hope to kick off the 2020 NFL season at Allegiant Stadium the right way.
Raiders general manager Mike Mayock has already acknowledged the Raiders need to fortify their linebacker corps. He has even gone so far as to suggest that teams around the league are well-aware of their plans to add to the second level of their defense.
Perhaps the only roster concerns currently overshadowing the linebackers is their need for some more firepower in the receiving corps. It appears this will also be a point of emphasis for Las Vegas in the 2020 NFL Draft.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mayock understands that the Raiders will need to add some more playmakers on offense to help complement running back Josh Jacobs, tight end Darren Waller and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow:
“You need playmakers in today’s NFL. And I don’t even think you need to put labels on them anymore. That’s some of the things Jon and I talk about. Josh Jacobs can be a playmaker. Darren Waller can be a playmaker. Renfrow can be a playmaker. But we don’t have enough outside speed. People started to load up on Josh and Darren. Our offensive line is a big, strong, tough group that we’re happy with. But let’s be honest. If we’re going to take it to another level, that position has to get better.”
Mayock added that the Raiders are hoping to take advantage of one of the deepest receiver classes in recent draft history:
“It’s early, but I certainly think there’s a lot of wideouts in this draft. It’s a deep wide receiver draft. Now, you have to be careful, especially the higher you go. Do yourself a favor and go look at (the history of the draft) and look at first-round wide receivers over the last 10 years. It’s sobering. And I think there’s some reasons why college wide receivers can struggle coming into the NFL. So I think you have to be careful. Everybody thinks if you draft a wide receiver in the first round it’s immediate production. It doesn’t necessarily mean that. Take a look at the numbers. So I think you have to be aware of what you’re facing and I think you have to be smart with what you’re doing.”
The Raiders had made attempts to form a talented duo for quarterback Derek Carr to work with after bringing in Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams last offseason. Unfortunately, Brown’s tumultuous tenure in Oakland was short-lived while Williams struggled with injuries and seems to be better suited as a complementary option.
Mayock seems to solidify the notion that Las Vegas will be looking to bring in a potential No. 1 wideout through the draft this time around and they certainly have the resources to do it with the No. 12 and No. 19 overall picks. There will be no shortage of talent for Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden to sift through in order to find a legitimate weapon on the outside.
Mayock’s comments also indicate that the Raiders will try and take a cautious approach with the expectations that come with taking a wideout in the first round. Regardless, there is no question that the rookie will be tasked with making an immediate impact considering all the hype this team has generated with the relocation.
