The Las Vegas Raiders head into the 2020 NFL Draft with two first round picks, but whether or not they stay in those spots is anyone’s guess.
The 2020 NFL Draft is less that two weeks away, and the Las Vegas Raiders are in great position to once again bolster their roster. Last year, the Raiders parlayed three first round picks into guys who will be cornerstones of this roster moving forward, and then general manager Mike Mayock went on to hit home runs in the later rounds.
Guys like Hunter Renfrow and Maxx Crosby proved to be well worth their draft slots, and Foster Moreau even proved to be a weapon on offense. Isaiah Johnson was injured for most of his rookie season, but all signs point to him being able to come in during his second season and make an impact in a secondary that needs help.
Overall, the Raiders currently hold five of the first 91 selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, but in our latest 7-round Raiders mock, they move some of those picks around. What they are left with is a five picks in the first 88 selections, including two first rounders, and a coveted second round selection.
Here is our latest 2020 NFL mock draft.
With their first selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders select CeeDee Lamb, a wide receiver from Oklahoma. Lamb is a playmaker that has proven that he can take the number 1 role in an offense. He can play inside or outside and is the best wide receiver in this class.
He runs tremendous routes and can consistently beats press coverage. The only knock on him is his lack of deep speed, but he does have enough speed to excel in the NFL. Lamb reminds me of a more explosive and elusive Michael Crabtree.
Lamb is ballhawk, and if you think back on the Raiders 2016 season, having a guy like Crabtree made all the difference for Derek Carr. With the Cardinals picking up DeAndre Hopkins and with the amount of offensive tackle talent at the top of this draft, I think Lamb falls to the Raiders at pick 12.
For me Lamb’s floor is Crabtree and his ceiling is Hopkins. Having Lamb, Tyrell Williams, and Hunter Renfrow as starters, with Nelson Agholor and Zay Jones as depth, the Raiders are set at wideout. In addition, they have an elite tight end in Darren Waller, and a star at running back, making this offense explosive.
Here is where our latest 7-round mock starts to get interesting, as the Raiders swing a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to move down in the first round. In total, Las Vegas trades pick No. 19 and No. 91 to the Ravens for picks No. 28 and No. 55, as they move into the second round.
Now holding the No. 28 overall pick, the Raiders add a cornerback in A.J. Terrell out of Clemson. Terrell is one of the most overlooked cornerback prospects in this draft, and I actually think he is better than Florida’s CJ Henderson, who is considered the second-best corner behind Jeffrey Okudah in this class.
AJ Terrell had one bad game last year and it was against the best wide receiver in the country. On the other hand, Henderson had plenty of bad games last season, as he was torched by both Florida State and Miami to name a few.
The reason Terrell is a perfect fit for this Raiders defense is because of his man coverage skills. They are right on par with Henderson and Okudah, making his selection at No. 28 quite the value for the Raiders.
He runs extremely well with receivers down field and turns his head to locate the ball. At the NFL level, that is going to be crucial. Kristian Fulton does not do a good job on that and gets called for pass interference downfield often. Terrell’s feet are smooth and he can function as a press man corner in Paul Guenther’s press-heavy defense.
In addition, he also can play off man coverage and has great instincts in zone. He’s a willing and able tackler but one knock on him is he can be more physical to get off blocks. Terrell is a great cornerback prospect and can pair well with Mullen.
The trade with the Ravens nets general manager Mike Mayock a second round pick, something he has been adamant about getting heading into the draft. With the selection, Mayock continues to add to the linebacker group, an area he has targeted and improve vastly this offseason.
With the No. 55 overall selection, the Raiders select Ohio State linebacker Malik Harrison, who would be a perfect addition to a group that added Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton in free agency. Kwiatkoski will be the starting middle linebacker, and Littleton will be at weakside, and Harrison joins the group as a violent hitter and an underrated athlete.
He had one of the top-3 cone times at the Combine and combined that with a solid 4.6 40 time. Harrison played in the Big 10 Conference which is filled with talented running backs and offensive lineman, as well, and Mayock likes his picks from big schools in big conferences.
The one knock on Harrison is his coverage ability. Not that he can’t cover, just that he didn’t get many reps in man coverage during his time with the Buckeyes. With more experience he can develop better coverage skills and become on of the premier outside linebackers in this draft. He reminds me a lot of Erik Hendricks.
The Raiders look to add another pass rushing talent to their arsenal after adding Carl Nassib earlier in the offseason. Nassib will be a solid player but he’s never had a season above 6.5 sacks, so he was brought in as mostly a depth piece.
In Nassib, the Raiders got a guy who is a good run defender and can be rotated in to spell Madd Maxx Crosby or Clelin Ferrell. With pick No. 80, they add a hybrid edge rusher/outside linebacker to the team in Josh Uche from Michigan.
By selecting Uche, the Raiders get a player with some good moves and great bend. Uche just finds a way to win, and plays with the kind of passion that head coach Jon Gruden loves in his players.
One of his biggest feats this past season was against Iowa, when he proved he can get the job done against Tristan Wirfs, considered by many the best offensive tackle in this draft class. Uche could come in and fill the role left vacant by Benson Mayowa, and he also has the body to be a stand up linebacker, making him a versatile piece of the puzzle.
Currently, the Raides hold the No. 81 overall selection, but in this mock draft, they swing a trade with the New Orleans Saints for pick No. 88 overall, as well as adding another fourth round pick. That pick will come in at No. 130, so they now hold pick No. 121 and 130 in that round.
With this pick, the Raiders add another cornerback to the mix, bringing in Amik Robertson from Louisiana Tech. While he may not have played at a powerhouse program in college, he has everything you look for in an NFL cornerback, and ranked atop of almost every category given by Pro Football Focus for cornerback prospects.
Ranking above top prospects like Jeffrey Okudah and C.J. Henderson in some categories, Robertson is a tremendous value this late in the draft. So why does he fall this far? He’s a 5-foot-8, 175 pounder who did not play at a big program.
Throw on his tape, however, and watch a competitive, quick-footed, feisty cornerback that could learn behind a veteran for a year or two like Lamarcus Joyner. From there, he could possibly blossom into a starting slot/nickel corner.
The Raiders struck gold in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, as they used the pick they got from the Chicago Bears in the Khalil Mack trade and turned it into Josh Jacobs. In his rookie season, Jacobs shattered a ton of Raiders rookie records, and he should have come away with the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Raiders add a bruising back behind Jacobs, bringing in A.J. Dillon from Boston College. Dillon is a big back who runs well, and at BC, he was an absolute workhorse in the backfield.
He’s a physical freak and will hit the hole as hard as any running back in this draft. Behind that massive offensive line, the Raiders get a steal this late in the draft. With Jalen Richard returning, and Jacobs in line to get the bulk of the carries, Dillon becomes a solid addition to this running back room, giving the team another change of pace, as well as a guy who can bring the physicality this offense needs if Jacobs needs a spell.
With their second of two draft picks received from the New Orleans Saints for pick No. 81, the Raiders add to an already impressive offensive line. The Raiders love their massive offensive tackles and Washington’s Trey Adams definitely fits that bill.
Adams had a terrible combine, from an awful 40 time, to a leaked video from his interview, he just didn’t have the week he was hoping for. Without pro days or interviews prior to the draft, Adams won’t be able to show his ability again until he gets drafted.
Remember, this is a kid who was a first round talent two years ago, but injuries have also helped to derail his career. However even with all of this, I think Adams would be a great value pick, and would provide depth behind Kolton Miller and Trent Brown.
With the Raiders set at the at tackle position, they grab a potential swing player in Adams. While the offensive line is a strength in 2020, Adams may be too good a prospect to pass up here in the fourth round.
This pick is definitely the most unique considering Kenny Robinson spent last season playing in the XFL. He’s an all-around solid safety prospect, and with the Raiders needing all the competition they can get in the secondary, look for Robinson as a solid addition to this roster.
Robinson is a great coverage safety that was used primarily as a free safety. He needs to work on his tackling ability, but he can spend his first year behind Damarious Randall and learn besides veterans like Jeff Heath and Erik Harris, as well as Johnathan Abram.
The young defensive back is also the only XFL prospect that is able to come out for the draft because of unusual circumstances. Robinson still had a year left of eligibility before leaving West Virginia. However, he decided to go out for the XFL league instead. He was one of the rising stars in the league before the Coronavirus hit.