Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito return to the Raiders for the 2020 NFL season, and Clemson rookie John Simpson will benefit greatly because of it.
The Las Vegas Raiders held two fourth round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, and with their first one, they dipped in a very familiar well by selecting Clemson offensive guard John Simpson. General manager Mike Mayock continues to build up this Raiders roster with championship-caliber players, and men, so it came as no surprise when the All-American landed with the Silver and Black.
During his time at Clemson, Simpson was a two-time national champion, and was twice named All-ACC. In addition, he was not only named captain of the Tigers in 2019, but also went on to be a consensus All-American, so him slipping to the fourth round was a bit of a head-scratcher this past April.
A steal in the fourth round in 2020
Though the Raiders selected Simpson in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, many scouts felt that he was the best pure guard in the draft class. Remember, this is a guy who flat out dominated for the most dominant team in college football, one that has yielded a bunch of Raiders since Mayock took over.
By joining the Raiders, Simpson joins Clemson West, as the team has added teammates Clelin Ferrell, Hunter Renfrow, Tanner Muse, and Trayvon Mullen via the NFL Draft since Mayock’s arrival. In Simpson, they get a guy who can come in and learn from two very good veterans right off the bat at the NFL level, giving him the time he needs before stepping into a starting role down the road.
Incognito and Jackson return
The Raiders franchise certainly rolled the dice heading into the 2019 campaign on Richie Incognito, a punishing offensive guard who has had more than his fair share of off-the-field incidents in his NFL career. With the Raiders, Incognito played some of the best football we have seen from him in a long time, while avoiding all of the missteps that have plagued him at the professional level.
This offseason, the Silver and Black signed Incognito to a two-year extension, ensuring his place along the Raiders offensive line in 2020. When the team let Gabe Jackson’s contract become guaranteed this week, the 2019 offensive line was guaranteed to return for another go-around, giving the Raiders one of the better, and more cohesive units in the AFC.
It remains to be seen how much actual playing time Simpson will get this season, but as we saw last year, depth is needed in a tough 16-game season. He is going to learn a lot during his rookie campaign, in practice, and in the games, and in a year or so, he will be one of the young anchors on this Raiders offensive line.