Las Vegas Raiders trade down for defense in 7-round 2020 mock draft
By Randy Gurzi
With their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders land one of the more exciting players in the entire class in Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III.
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While Ruggs was the secondary target behind Jerry Jeudy in Alabama, he’s ascended to become arguably the top receiver in the class — between him and CeeDee Lamb.
In this mock, Lamb went first which allows the Raiders to snatch up Ruggs, who is known for his incredible speed. He showed that off in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine by breaking 4.3. Unfortunately, he was unable to continue afterward and didn’t do the remainder of the drills.
Had he been able to, Ruggs would have shown that he’s more than just a deep threat. He’s a capable wideout that can fit in any scheme and is able to rack up the yards after the catch as well. And in Jon Gruden’s offense, that’s a match made in heaven.
Putting Ruggs on the field with Tyrell Williams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow suddenly gives Las Vegas a scary passing attack. They had their moments last season but now adding a guy who can be a No. 1 target in the NFL — and one that can take the top off the defense as well — can be all they were missing.