Raiders: 5 former first-round picks that must reach their potential in 2021

Las Vegas Raiders: 5 former first-round picks that must reach their potential in 2021

No. 1: Henry Ruggs III

We finish out our five former first-rounders who need to reach their potential with the Raiders’ top draft pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. With every top wide receiver still on the board, Las Vegas decided on Henry Ruggs III, taking the Alabama speedster with the No. 12 pick overall.

While Ruggs struggled as a rookie, showing flashes at times, he is going to be expected to take a big step forward in Year 2. The Raiders have done a nice job bringing in some veterans around him, including John Brown and Willie Snead, but he is going to be the key for a position group looking for someone to step up and assume the WR1 label.

Last season, that player was free-agent signee Nelson Agholor, and this year, the hope is that it will be Ruggs.

Three important positions to watch in Las Vegas Raiders minicamp

The Las Vegas Raiders have plenty of position groups to keep an eye on, and here are the three most important at minicamp.

Overall, this is a solid group of talent, and all five are going to be expected to play key roles if the Raiders are to make it to the playoffs this season. For some, it is only Year 2, but for others, this is the year they have to prove they are worthy of a long-term deal.