Raiders need to make big splash in draft while arriving in Sin City

The Raiders will have a change of scenery in the 2020 season and here’s what the organization can look to do so to endear the fans in Las Vegas.

The Raiders didn’t finish the 2019 season the way they had hoped. However, staying in the fight for a seat in the playoffs all the way to Week 17 and finishing with a record of 7-9 in Jon Gruden’s second year at the helm is a step in the right direction after going 4-12 in the 2018 campaign.

Now in the process of moving into their new home of Allegiant Stadium in the fun city of Las Vegas, the Raiders want to make a splash and attract many to their new fan base.

After a disappointing last home game in Oakland with the Week 15 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Raiders fans showed everyone their blunt unforgiving behavior with the destruction of the Coliseum’s green seats (meant for the Oakland A’s too) and throwing garbage onto the field.

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The Raiders look to make it up to their fans and start things off hot in their new city. Free agency could play a big role in that but so too could the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Raiders currently possess the 12th and19th picks in the first round of the 2020 draft. With a lot of negativity surrounding quarterback Derek Carr, it will be interesting to see which direction they go in. Gruden wasn’t interested in going into detail when it comes to Carr in his end-of-year press conference, as he wanted to avoid “any next-year scenarios.”

Many have suggested the Raiders are keen on acquiring Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert with No. 12 if finding a replacement for Carr is among their top priorities. In a new city, picking up a player like Herbert would serve as a good marketing piece for the Raiders franchise.

Beyond Carr’s future with the silver and black, the big question with Herbert is if he would last until the 12th selection. With the Los Angeles Chargers picking ahead of the Raiders, there’s a chance the Oregon signal-caller could already be off the board by that time.

But is a rookie quarterback the type of splash that this franchise wants to make? Especially since Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and maybe even Tua Tagovailoa could be available in the 2021 NFL Draft?

If the Raiders want that strong first impression in Las Vegas, and to go as far as the Las Vegas Golden Knights did in their inaugural season, they will need to sign and draft the players that will help them lock up the late victories that they let slip away too often in the 2019 season.

General manager Mike Mayock, in addition to Gruden, should be aggressive in the 2020 offseason and target impactful players. First, they must acquire a playmaking wide receiver that they’ve lacked since trading Amari Cooper to Dallas, likely through the draft.

The 2020 wide receiver class has a few big names, such as Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, TCU’s Jalen Reagor and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. The player that best fits the Raiders, though, is Tee Higgins out of Clemson.

Higgins is 6-4 and has the moves to beat opposing secondaries over the top. Carr has weapons in Darren Waller for the underneath pass and Josh Jacobs to anchor the run game. Thus, Higgins would fit in perfectly to make get the Raiders offense back to the level it saw in 2016.

With prior first-round picks such as DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Mike Williams preceding Higgins coming out of Clemson, the potential Raiders target could really spark the Raiders fan base in Las Vegas to get excited about the offense.

Since Mayock has already extended all of the Raiders offensive linemen through 2020, their second first-round selection should focus on the defense, specifically in the secondary. The defense ranked 25th in pass yards allowed and 24th in points allowed per game this past season.

Subsequently, they will need to pick up a cornerback out of a rich class that features the likes of LSU’s Kristian Fulton, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs and many other quality players.

With picks like those and a big free-agent signing or two, the Raiders should be ready for a turnaround type of year. These players could make a big instant impact and, perhaps, put the team in position to make a run at a playoff berth in the 2020 season, their first in Las Vegas.