Revisiting the nightmare that was the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 NFL Draft

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 14: Cornerback Damon Arnette #20 of the Las Vegas Raiders talks with general manager Mike Mayock after the team's 20-7 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 14, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 14: Cornerback Damon Arnette #20 of the Las Vegas Raiders talks with general manager Mike Mayock after the team's 20-7 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 14, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 14: Bryan Edwards #89 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates after getting a touchdown during the second half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on November 14, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 14: Bryan Edwards #89 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates after getting a touchdown during the second half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on November 14, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Revisiting the nightmare that was the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 NFL Draft

The rest of the class

While it may seem impossible, the Raiders’ 2020 draft class did not get much better. Possessing three third-round picks, general manager Mike Mayock was quoted as saying the Raiders should get “three starters” with those selections. Instead, they drafted Lynn Bowden Jr., Bryan Edwards, and Tanner Muse.

Neither Bowden nor Muse played a single snap for the Raiders. Bowden was traded to the Dolphins before the start of his rookie season while Muse was injured and then released before the 2021 season. Edwards, a starter in week one of both 2020 and 2021, has never become the player the Raiders thought they were getting when they drafted him. He is likely to make the roster in 2022 but his starting spot is in jeopardy.

Over the rest of the draft, Las Vegas added John Simpson and Amik Robertson in the fourth round. Simpson, a guard from Clemson, may be the best pick of the entire draft for the Raiders. Not a great player by any means, he has given them depth while also starting nineteen games in his career. Robertson however is unlikely to make the team in 2022.

Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft the Raiders had a chance to add to a young core that was among the NFL’s best. Instead, they squandered almost every pick they had. Despite this, they were still able to make the playoffs soon after. Still, the potential for what could have been will always hang over the franchise.