It is no secret that the Raiders need a No. 1 wide receiver. Even general manager Mike Mayock on national television said how important the need is for the Raiders this offseason.
Over the last three months, conventional wisdom has said that the Raiders will use their No. 12 pick to select a receiver and then use their other first-round pick to help the defense. The pick at No. 12 usually boiled down to whichever receiver between CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy was available for the Raiders.
However, could there be another name at No. 12 that we aren’t giving enough attention to? In a recent mock draft by Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network, he has the Raiders selecting Henry Ruggs III over Jeudy with the team’s first pick in the 2020 draft. Take a look at Crabbs’ thought process behind the selection:
Somewhere, Al Davis is grinning from ear to ear. This is a double whammy for the Las Vegas Raiders too. They pick up a speed option to help boost their offense after the Antonio Brown debacle of 2019 and also snatch the top reported target of their division rival, the Broncos. All is fair in love and the NFL draft.
Over the last few weeks, it does appear that Ruggs is gaining momentum in the draft world as multiple teams are searching for the next Tyreek Hill. While Ruggs might not be as physical as Hill, he possesses every bit of the same speed.
At the NFL Combine, Ruggs had an insane 40-yard dash time of 4.27. But what was even more impressive was his 10-yard split of 1.43. That is unheard of as the next best time in the wide receiver class was a 1.47 by K.J. Osborn of Miami
The Raiders could select a more polished receiver at No. 12, but there is no one in the draft that has Ruggs’ speed. Considering how rare of a player he is, don’t be surprised if he ends up passing Jeudy in the draft, despite being the lesser player in college.
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