Every team goes into the NFL draft each year hoping to look back at it as a success. And while few teams can truly pull off a transformational draft haul, it’s still reasonable to expect a front office to at least know what they’re doing.
So, with that in mind, it’s difficult to imagine a worse draft than what the Las Vegas Raiders put together in 2020.
The Raiders had five picks in the opening two days of the 2020 draft, and now, only Bryan Edwards — a third-round pick with 29 career receptions — is still with the team. This came after the Raiders announced the release of 2020 first-round pick Damon Arnette on Monday. Arnette had posted videos online where he threatened someone and showed off guns.
Arnette appeared in a viral video over the weekend flashing guns and threatening to kill someone. Now, he heads to waivers. https://t.co/lDCQ3I4aBW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 8, 2021
It wasn’t Arnette’s first off-the-field incident either.
There were troubling off-the-field signs everywhere for #Raiders first-rounder Damon Arnette. For instance: In his first year in the NFL, Arnette crashed four rental cars within roughly a month, sources said. Now, after a tumultuous weekend including online threats, he’s out.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 8, 2021
In a matter of six days, the Raiders released both first-round picks from 2020. Henry Ruggs, who was picked 12th overall, was released in response to a fatal car crash that led to multiple felony DUI charges against the wide receiver. Ruggs could face up to 46 years in prison, if convicted of all charges.
With Ruggs and Arnette gone, the Raiders’ 2020 draft is looking like this:
#Raiders 2020 draft:
1st round: Henry Ruggs released
1st: Damon Arnette released
3rd: Lynn Bowden traded before playing a snap
3rd: Bryan Edwards: 29 catches in 20 games
3rd: Tanner Muse released w/ 0 snaps
4th: John Simpson: PFF 53rd ranked G
4th: Amik Robertson: 169 def snaps— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) November 8, 2021
Absolutely brutal.
The only remaining starters to come from that draft are Edwards and John Simpson — a below-average guard. Arnette was one of the picks acquired in the Khalil Mack trade too as if that trade couldn’t look any worse already.
And sure, it’s relatively common to see teams have a poor draft, but for the Raiders draft to be a bust after 19 months — that’s just a stunning pace of failure.
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