Raiders’ rookies are turning heads with great workouts
By John Buhler
A pair of Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receivers are already impressing.
Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock seems to know how to draft well.
Mayock was the lead draft analyst for the NFL Network for years, but is in his second season building the Silver and Black. In the 2019 NFL Draft, he took promising players in defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell, safety Johnathan Abram and running back Josh Jacobs in the first round. Defensive end Maxx Crosby and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow were great late-round picks, too.
With training camp rapidly approach, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur suggests Mayock landed two other excellent players in the 2020 NFL Draft, both at the wide receiver position. Raiders tight end Derek Carrier has been very impressed by the rookie wideouts Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards have performed in the Raiders’ player-driven voluntary workouts this summer.
“Henry [Ruggs III] and Bryan [Edwards] look really great,” said Carrier. “Their ability to contribute right away is very clear. I am so excited to see them on the field. This draft class definitely has the ability to do some serious work in its first year…Ruggs is just as advertised. He is so fast, it’s unbelievable.”
Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards can take the Raiders’ offense over the top.
Mayock used one of his two first-round picks on the speedy wideout from the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ruggs may have boom or bust potential in the NFL, but he’s the epitome of an Al Davis fever dream. The guy is a bona fide track star and one who might open up the field for quarterback Derek Carr, assuming he’s interested in throwing the ball more than five yards downfield.
Edwards’ selection went under the radar. His South Carolina Gamecocks didn’t achieve bowl eligibility in 2019. While defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw gained notoriety from his climb from poverty as a youth to being a first-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers, his college teammate Edwards fell to the Raiders in the third round. He is South Carolina’s all-time leading receiver.
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While the quarterback position may be in flux, as Carr is holding onto his starting job for now, while 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota stands as a more than capable backup, the Raiders should have a greatly improved offense this fall under head coach Jon Gruden. The pieces are starting to fall in place for the Raiders. Maybe they can contend for a Wild Card berth this year?
If Ruggs and Edwards have great rookie seasons, the Raiders may be a viable postseason threat.