In the second day of the NFL draft, the Raiders held three selections in the third round, using two of them on offensive weapons, and one on a defensive player.
In the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders added a human rocket at receiver in Henry Ruggs III, as well as a surprise pick in cornerback Damon Arnette from Ohio State. The two picks were at the positions most fans agreed that the team needed, but came across as a bit of surprise picks.
Going into Day 2, nobody knew what to expect from Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden, and although they surprised us again, I believe they absolutely nailed their picks.
With their first pick of the day coming as the 80th pick of the draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected Lynn Bowden Jr. out of Kentucky. Whether you want to call Bowden a running back, wide receiver, or just all around offensive weapon, it is impossible to not be excited about the pick.
In 2019, Bowden was used in a number of different ways. He rushed 1,468 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 7.9 yards per carry. He also recorded 348 receiving yards and a touchdown.
These are incredible stats for any running back in college football, but it does not end there. Bowden also played a bit of quarterback when the starter went down with an injury, recording 403 passing yards and three touchdowns. With their first pick of day two, the Raiders get their own Taysom Hill.
With their second pick of Day 2, the Raiders selected another receiver to many peoples surprise, as they selected South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards. When Mike Mayock stated that there could be WR1 talent receivers in the third round, this may have been one of the players he was speaking about.
At 6’3, 212 pounds, the Raiders add size to a draft class that had lacked it before this pick. Edwards missed a few games with a minor injury in 2019, but was still able to record 816 yards and six touchdowns on the season, as well as recording over 3,000 yards and 22 touchdowns in his career. Edward’s size mixed with incredible hands is something that the Raiders offense currently lacks.
With the Raiders’ final pick of day two, they continued their trend of drafting Clemson players, bringing in Tanner Muse. At 6’2, Muse has been listed as a linebacker and a safety depending on where you look, but one things for sure, his versatility could fill multiple roles on the Raiders roster.
With 4.41 speed, Muse finished his career at Clemson with 14 career passes broken up at seven interceptions, having a reputation for finding the football.
Although I did not hate the Raiders first day, I feel much better about this class after day two. The Raiders have been able to add multiple players to the offense that can completely dominate defenses, as well as adding a proven defensive player with an aggressive style. Overall, the Raiders did a great job on day two.