A year after the Las Vegas Raiders added Henry Ruggs III in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, they head back to Tuscaloosa to add another.
During the 2019 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders made Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III their first of two first round picks. Ruggs was the first wideout off the board, as the Silver and Black selected him over the likes of Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, and Ruggs’ teammate Jerry Jeudy.
In Ruggs, the Raiders got the true WR1 that they were lacking, and later on in the draft, they brought in South Carolina’s all-time leading receiver in Bryan Edwards. They join a position group that went from a weakness to a strength this offseason, as that tandem should end up being a dynamic duo for the Raiders passing game.
Last season, the Raiders struggled with injuries, inconsistency, and a revloving door at the wide receiver position, but they head into 2020 with tremendous depth. In addition, they have a tremendous offensive line, and elite options at running back and tight end in Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller, respectively.
Though the draft just wrapped up last month, that has not stopped the media from already taking a look into the 2021 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders land DeVonta Smith at No. 15 overall
Kyle Edmond of NFL Mocks recently released a very-early 2021 NFL mock draft, and in it, the Raiders once again add from Alabama’s elite wideout room. After selecting Ruggs in 2020, Mike Mayock and company select DeVonta Smith with the No. 15 overall pick in 2021.
Smith this a tremendous talent, and obviously, Mayock has an affection for adding players from powerhouse schools like Alabama and Clemson. However, if Ruggs and Edwards do what they are supposed to, and Tyrell Williams bounces back, the Raiders are set at the top of the depth chart at wide receiver, and should look to target other areas next April.
In addition, second-year wideout Hunter Renfrow had a solid rookie campaign, finishing up with 100 yards in back-to-back games to close out the season.
It is apparent that the Raiders are building around Carr, and the hope is that he can find that form that nearly landed him an MVP award only a few short years ago. There are enough weapons on this offense to score points with anyone this season, and if the defense steps up, they will hopefully be picking a lot later than No. 15.