2020 NFL Mock Draft: Post-2019 college football season edition
By Dakota Cox
12. Las Vegas Raiders: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
Oakland needs weapons on offense. It’s that simple. I decided to give them the fastest man in this draft class. Henry Ruggs might break the NFL Combine rushing record for 40-yard dash. If you watch a highlight reel, there will be at least one play where he catches the ball within ten yards of the line of scrimmage with an entire defense in front of him and ends up scoring a touchdown without being touched.
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Let me also say that Ruggs is not my top receiver left on the board. CeeDee Lamb is still available, and I have him graded above Ruggs. That being said, I believe the Las Vegas Raiders would prefer Ruggs for many reasons. He’s a better scheme fit and team need.
Right now, the Raiders need someone who can spread the field vertically as a deep passing threat. That’s probably Ruggs’ best trait. He also has great hands and body control to make insane catches while being covered. They also showed that they like players with a championship pedigree when they drafted so many Alabama and Clemson players last year. I’m not saying that Lamb won’t be successful in the NFL, but I think that Mayock and Gruden would choose Ruggs over Lamb.
You can argue whether or not the Raiders won the Amari Cooper trade, but they’ve been missing that vertical threat ever since he left, and I think this fixes that problem.
The Raiders took an Alabama skill player in the first round last year, and it’s worked out great for them. We’ll see if they do it again.