Complete recap of the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders finished their 2020 draft, making seven picks over three days. Here are each of their picks from every round of the draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books, as the team added seven new members to the organization. The draft could be summarized using one word, speed, as the Raiders knew they needed to get faster to keep up with the Kansas City Chiefs inside their division.

As we recap the draft, you have to be happy with the haul Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock got. They added talent at their two biggest areas of need in wide receiver and cornerback, and got some dynamic and versatile players in guys like Lynn Bowden Jr. and Tanner Muse.

First Round

• Round 1, Pick No. 12: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

With every wide receiver prospect still on the board, Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock had the pick of the litter and wound up taking, Ruggs, the fastest player in the 2020 draft. Gruden has said numerous times since the 2019 season came to a close, he wants to get more dynamic on offense and adding Ruggs to the mix who ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash presumably provides a large spark.

Ideally, Ruggs will be used on the outside to stretch the defensive vertically while opening things up for Josh Jacobs around the line of scrimmage with fewer bodies down in the box. The former Crimson Tide playmaker had teams salivating over his accelerating vertical speed but he’s also capable of doing damage after the catch with the ball in his hands, taking a screen pass for chunk yards.

The Kansas City Chiefs Tyreek Hill has exploited the Raiders secondary with his explosive speed over the last few seasons and the addition of Ruggs feels as if that’s a burning image inside Gruden’s head. The NFL is a copycat league and the Raiders now have their own version of Hill by drafting Ruggs with their first pick.

• Round 1, Pick No. 19: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State

Selecting Arnette with the 19th overall pick was a bit of a head-scratcher. Arnette is a notable cornerback at the next level but the consensus expectation was he would be drafted among the second or third round. Clearly, he was highly prioritized within the Raiders’ organization and without them having a second-round pick, they forced their hand a bit.

Arnette was highly productive in college, allowing the lowest passer rating when lining up in single coverage in this year’s draft class, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s highly competitive and isn’t afraid to play press-man but did post a surprising 40-yard dash time of 4.56 seconds. That’s not exactly the time you want in a first-round corner but his game film doesn’t indicate that he has any trouble staying with his man.

Nonetheless, you don’t take a player with the 19th overall pick to not play — he’ll start opposite of last year’s second-round pick, Trayvon Mullen as the young duo attempt to lock down the outside with Lamarcus Joyner patrolling the slot.