Patience is rarely a word associated with Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, which means when the team exercised some of it on Friday night — waiting 47 picks before making their first — you can credit Mike Mayock with keeping a firm grip on the leash. In fact, not only did the Raiders wait patiently, they even traded back at one point, adding another Day 3 pick for Mayock to play with.
Unfortunately, Day 2 wasn’t without a bit of controversy amongst Raider picks — but on the whole, it’s hard to argue with the idea that the Raiders got better.
Pick No. 80, Lynn Bowden, RB/WR, Kentucky
You knew the Raiders were going to grab another receiver at some point, and so seeing Bowden’s name pop up wasn’t that big of a surprise in a draft where teams were grabbing second-round talent deep into the third. Bowden, of course, may be the most fascinating name in the draft given the diversity within his college career. During his time at Kentucky, he amassed roughly 1,500 rushing yards, 1,300 receiving yards, 500 passing yards and 1,600 kick return yards — all while trying to navigate SEC defenses each week.
When you look at his scouting report, the news Mayock broke after the night was done — that Bowden would start out as a running back — makes a lot of sense. Most of his strengths revolve around time with the ball in his hand, while his weaknesses are things like “lacks ideal experience at receiver”, “undeveloped route runner” and “height and arm length are average-at-best at receiver” according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Grade: B
Admittedly the running backs were mostly gone by this point, but Bowden seems like quite a gamble for this spot in the third. Then again, a weapon like this in Gruden’s hands should lead to some exciting formational experiments that will keep defenses guessing.
Pick No. 81, Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina
For anyone who questioned the Henry Ruggs III pick at No. 12, Edwards will answer all of the remaining questions about how the Raiders offense all fits together. At 6’2″ and 212 pounds, Edwards is the quintessential outside receiver with size and strength to be physical against any cornerback placed opposite him. Here’s what CBS had to say about the pick:
“Edwards is a first-round talent who likely plummeted because of foot injury during pre-draft process. Incredibly well-rounded game. Beats press. Crazy ball skills. Good separation-creator. Deceptive YAC. Contested-catch stud.”
Grade: A
This is how you take advantage of a deep wide receiver class and add a perfect complement to Ruggs and Hunter Renfrow. If this pick pans out, the Raiders have the core of their receiving room for years to come.
Pick No. 100, Tanner Muse, LB/S, Clemson
This pick came after the Raiders traded down from No. 91, picking up an additional fourth and fifth-round pick from the New England Patriots (the Raiders also included their own fifth-round pick). Muse was a name that Brugler mentioned to me in our interview as someone he thought made a ton of sense with the Raiders — albeit in the fourth or fifth round.
The upside with Muse is obvious: he’s a 6’2″, 227-pound linebacker who ran a 4.41 at the combine. Of course, playing at Clemson didn’t hurt his stock either. The flip side, however, is that he projects mostly as a special teams player — which is fine, except for the fact that this guy was picked in the third round.
Grade: C-
Didn’t love this pick — especially at this point. There were better linebackers on the board, and this felt like falling in love with a player and picking him way earlier than you needed to. Unless Muse becomes far more than a special teams player, this pick will be a disappointment for a team with plenty of holes left to fill on their two-deep.
Trade Grade: A
The Raiders only had two Day 3 picks coming into the night, and they moved down just nine spots while adding another. Unfortunately the guy they ended up with at 100 wasn’t someone I was super high on, but at least they didn’t get him at 91?
Names to watch for Day 3
The Raiders pick at No. 121, 139 and 172 today — with plenty of good players still left on the board who could pencil in as current backups and future starters.
Baylor’s James Lynch — a guy I had projected to the Raiders in the third — remains on the board, and while the measurables may not be perfect, the guy just produces. Guys like that always seem to stick in the league and so he could be a good addition to the defensive line rotation.
Georgia’s Jake Fromm — he was my favorite quarterback beyond the top three, and if you’re going to draft one, he’d be my pick. Admittedly I’m hoping the Raiders avoid the position altogether though.
Louisiana Tech’s Amik Robertson — yes the Raiders already drafted a corner, but you can never have too many, and the 5’9″ Robertson seems like the type of tough corner that Mike Mayock might fall in love with despite the size.
Clemson’s John Simpson — the Raiders could still add another guard, and if they were going to, you’d imagine the kid from Clemson was a top choice, right?
Virginia’s Bryce Hall — if not for injuries, Hall would be long gone by now, and at 6’1″ and 202 pounds, he fits the profile of guys that Paul Guenther typically prefers. This is the perfect type of flier to take on Day 3.
Tulsa’s Reggie Robinson — another corner? Yeah, and this guy is the prototypical press corner with a desire to attack in the run game as well. He’s 6’1″, 205 pounds and would be yet another nice piece for the Raiders to develop.
Notre Dame’s Troy Pride — last corner, I promise. Pride was one of the standouts at the Senior Bowl this year, and with projections as an ideal press corner he could be another great value at some point today.
Utah’s Leki Fotu — the former rugby player turned defensive tackle is a beast, and he still has some room to grow. Utah has a history of churning out high-end defensive lineman and Fotu (or teammate Bradley Anae) would be nice choices today.
XFL’s Kenny Robinson Jr. — you read that right, as Robinson is trying to become the first XFL player drafted. As a safety, Robinson needs a lot of development, but that is a position of need for the Raiders after this season and the raw tools are here to work with.
Michigan State’s Kenny Willekes — Brugler’s scouting report begins with “Competing with a touch of insanity…” — does that sound like the type of “Raiders” that Gruden and Mayock have said they’re searching for? You can never have enough edge rushers, and Willekes would bring with him a strong resume of colege production.
