2020
Henry Ruggs III (1st/12th Overall)
Ruggs was well on his way to becoming a majorly impactful receiver in the NFL, until a particular off the field issue prevented him from playing football again. Without getting into the weeds of that situation, I will just say it is unfortunate and sad how his NFL career ended.
Damon Arnette (1st/19th Overall)
Arnette never played well on the field for the Raiders, and he never acted in a professional manner off of it. The team ignored his character concerns coming out of Ohio State and reached on him at the end of the first round, which was a costly mistake. Not only did they pass up on a multitude of tremendous players, but they drafted a player who has been arrested more times than he made good plays in the NFL. There were an unfortunate first two picks for Mike Mayock and company.
Lynn Bowden Jr. (3rd/80th Overall)
Perhaps the most puzzling move in a series of puzzling moves by the Raiders’ administration at the time was drafting Lynn Bowden with a third-round pick, and before he could even finish the preseason with the team, trading him and a sixth-round pick to the Dolphins for a fourth-rounder. Bowden never panned out in the NFL, so maybe it is a miracle that we got anything at all in return for him. He is currently a free agent after making short stints with a handful of other NFL teams.
Bryan Edwards (3rd/81st Overall)
Edwards had a handful of good moments for the Silver and Black during his two-year tenure, racking up nearly 600 yards and three touchdowns in his second season. However, after he failed to live up to the elite wide receiver comparisons he drew every year in training camp, he was traded for a fifth-rounder to the Falcons in 2022. He caught three balls for the Falcons that year before bouncing around a variety of teams the last two seasons. He was released by the Saints before the start of last season and has not made his way onto a roster since.
Tanner Muse (3rd/100th Overall)
Muse never appeared in a game for the Raiders. He was signed to the Seahawks roster and played in 23 games for them over two years before he joined the Chargers last season. He made two tackles for them in 2023 but is currently a free agent.
John Simpson (4th/109th Overall)
Simpson’s career got off to a rough start, but he quickly became a very solid NFL guard. In his three years with the Raiders, he appeared in 35 games, starting 21 of them, and he started all 17 games for the Ravens last year at guard. He joins the New York Jets this season on a multi-year deal, which makes him arguably the best player in the draft class.
Amik Robertson (4th/139th Overall)
Every year felt like the year that Robertson was going to get cut by the Raiders. Then every year he made the team, and every year he worked his way into being a part-time starter. Robertson has the other argument for the best player in the draft class, as he started 21 games in his four seasons with the Raiders, appearing in 41 games and collecting four interceptions, 15 pass deflections, and one defensive touchdown. He also provided many clutch moments for Raiders fans over the years, but he too signed a multi-year deal this offseason, joining the Detroit Lions.
Takeaways: There is no other way to describe this draft class than as a failure. Ruggs, despite his off the field issues, was not supposed to be the first wide receiver chosen anyways, and half of these players, just four seasons later, are out of football entirely. Simpson and Robertson are the only two who made any positive impact on the Raiders, and for that reason, this draft gets an F.