Las Vegas Raiders 2020 NFL Draft prospect profile: Brandon Aiyuk

Fit in Las Vegas

As it happens, Aiyuk hails from Reno, Nevada. He earned All-Nevada Honorable mention his senior year of high school before leaving the state to attend JUCO at Sierra College. His ties to Nevada are strong and could be the type of player who will get local fans excited about watching the Raiders.

Aiyuk is a terrific athlete who addresses two areas of concern in Gruden’s offense; attacking the perimeter and winning after the catch. His athleticism makes him an upside pick who can contribute on day 1 as a gadget player/returner before settling into his responsibilities running a full route tree from every position in the Las Vegas offense.

If he is on the Raiders and earns the confidence of the quarterback, he can win deep balls in the passing game. His speed and leaping ability allow him to track passes and high-point them. That combined with his impressive arm-length and you have a receiver who plays much bigger than his listed 5’11 5/8ths.

Until he develops a rapport with his NFL quarterback, he still has the ability to turn a short catch into a long gain. This is why he is an attractive option for Las Vegas considering Carr and the offense work through the quick passing game.

Aiyuk is electric with the ball in his hands; erasing angles with speed or, stringing moves together to shake loose in the open field. Aiyuk was thrown a screen on 38.5% of his targets. Contrast that number with his impressive 18.3 yards per reception and its obvious he has considerable ability after the catch.

A sensible spot for Aiyuk to be drafted by the Raiders would be in a trade back scenario late in the first round or early in round 2. He isn’t as clean of a prospect as the top wide receivers in this class (production, limited route tree) but his upside makes him a great consolation prize should the Raiders still need help at wide receiver after their first pick.