Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III projected to be second-most productive rookie receiver by NFL.com

With the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Raiders had their choice of any receiver in the class. On the board were two of the most complete receivers to come out of college in recent memory in CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, but the Raiders decided to go elsewhere.

While Lamb and Jeudy might be better overall players (at this moment), Henry Ruggs III has elite speed (4.27 40-yard dash). According to MockDraftable, only nine other receivers since 1999 have run a sub-4.30 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Of those nine receivers, only three are currently on NFL rosters (John Ross, Breshad Perriman, Marquise Goodwin).

Ruggs’ speed is simply rare. Players with his quickness and receiving ability don’t come around very often and this was Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden’s chance to get their version of “Tyreek Hill.”

But how will Ruggs’ speed translate into receiving production? In a recent article by Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com, she believes Ruggs will be the second-most productive receiver in his draft class, only behind CeeDee Lamb. Take a look at her thoughts on Ruggs as a prospect and his fit with the Raiders below:

Ruggs lined up wide in 80 percent of his Alabama snaps and last season earned 10.5 yards after the catch per reception (third-most in the SEC among those with 30-plus targets, per PFF). Ruggs is a riskier (fantasy) pick, because while his physical attributes (he’s fast, if you haven’t heard) project for a lot of opportunity and have driven success in past offenses run by Raiders coach Jon Gruden, other key high-value metrics, like route-running aptitude (computer vision shows he hasn’t run the full route tree as often or as precisely as other receivers in this class), are unknown and therefore introduce fantasy risk.

The Raiders will likely move Ruggs all over the field to exploit certain matchups, but it does make sense for him to start outside with Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller working in the middle of the field.

If Ruggs can connect on a big play or two each week, he should have no problem becoming one of the most productive receivers in this class and could easily surpass 800 yards as a rookie. Expect the former Alabama receiver to start as the “Z” receiver opposite of Tyrell Williams in Week 1.

[vertical-gallery id=69749]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Ranking AFC West offenses

We’ve gone through each position on the offense of each AFC West team to rank them. Now let’s see how they land with all positions considered. 1. Chiefs Patrick Mahomes is a great place to start. But the quarterback position isn’t the only one in …

We’ve gone through each position on the offense of each AFC West team to rank them. Now let’s see how they land with all positions considered.

1. Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes is a great place to start. But the quarterback position isn’t the only one in which the Chiefs dominate the division. In total they are tops in the division at four positions — quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, and tackle.

The wide receiving corps is deep and talented. Led by Tyreek Hill and bolstered by Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson, and Mecole Hardman. And yet there’s still plenty of targets for All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. Mahomes has time to get them the ball with the duo of Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz protecting for him.

Those areas more than make up for looking up at the division at running back and on the interior offensive line.

2. Raiders

The Raiders are practically the inverse of the Chiefs at several positions. They have the top running back and interior offensive line and running back, while fielding the worst wide receiving corps.

Josh Jacobs leads the way for the offense. Blocking the way for him are guards Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson and center Rodney Hudson. Tight end Darren Waller takes a backseat to Travis Kelce, but he’s not far behind.

The receiving corps added Henry Ruggs III, but they still have a lot to prove to get out of the division cellar.

3. Chargers

There is no single position at which the Chargers lead the division. Their best positions are wide receiver (behind the Chiefs), and center (behind the Raiders). But they are also not the worst at any position either.

Keenan Allen and Mike Williams make for as talented a top two as there is. But their lack of depth keeps them below the Chiefs. Mike Pouncey is a four-time Pro Bowler, but Rodney Hudson is arguably the best center in the NFL. Hunter Henry is a fine tight end, but he sits behind Travis Kelce and Darren Waller.

4. Broncos

The Broncos also don’t lead the division at any position. But, unlike the Chargers, the Broncos are last at three different positions — tight end, tackle, and center. Their best positions are running back and guard, in both cases they are second behind the Raiders.

Philip Lindsay is a fine running back, but he isn’t at the level Josh Jacobs showed last season. The Broncos running back corps is deep, though, Royce Freeman and the addition of Melvin Gordon to the mix. They will have a couple of solid guards blocking for them in Dalton Risner and Graham Glasgow.

Aside from the guards, the rest of the Broncos’ offensive line is not great. Tackles Garrett Bolles and Ja’Wuan Jones are the worst duo in the division and the Broncos are fielding a rookie center. Tight end Noah Fant has his work cut out for him to be on the level of Kelce, Waller, and Henry.

See AFC West rankings for QB I RB I WR I TE I OT I OG I C

Drafting CB Damon Arnette named Raiders biggest mistake of offseason

For the most part, the Raiders had a pretty flawless offseason. They were able to acquire several starting-caliber defenders in free agency and upgrade their wide receiver corps in the draft with Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards.

But every team has a move or two they regret after the offseason “ends.” For the Raiders, the move could end up being the selection of cornerback Damon Arnette.

In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, he named each team’s biggest regret of the offseason. For the Raiders, he had to nitpick some, writing about the selection of Arnette at No. 19. Take a look at a snippet of Knox’s thoughts on the pick:

The Las Vegas Raiders have made no secret of the fact that they intend to draft the players they want regardless of perceived draft value. They did so by taking pass-rusher Clelin Ferrell fourth overall last year, and they did it again by taking Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette 19th overall this year.

Instead of taking a premier pass-rushing prospect like K’Lavon Chaisson or a playmaking linebacker like Kenneth Murray, the Raiders drafted a player who could be the next version of Gareon Conley.

While there were likely “better” players available, the Arnette selection did fill a need for the Raiders as they are searching for a long-term complement to Trayvon Mullen. While Arnette’s athletic and statistical profile doesn’t scream “first-round pick”, the Raiders loved his toughness and experience.

If Arnette can develop into a starting-caliber cornerback, it will be hard to disagree with Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden given how difficult it is to find good corners. But if he flops, it will certainly be easy to criticize the pick as it was considered a “reach” at the time. Time will tell if Arnette was the right pick at No. 19.

[vertical-gallery id=69794]

[lawrence-newsletter]

SI: ‘Wow plays’ put Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III among favorites for Offense Rookie of the Year

Last season, Josh Jacobs was the favorite to win the award only to get snubbed in favor of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Meanwhile, the Raiders’ top pick Clelin Ferrell was not even in the conversation for Defensive Rookie of the Year. It was won by Nick Bosa who was selected at No. 2 overall by the 49ers.

This year the Raiders once again went with players on each side of the ball with their top two picks. This time it was flipped, though, with Ruggs at No. 12 and Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette at No. 19.

Based on draft position alone, Raiders 12th overall pick Henry Ruggs III would figure to be in the mix for 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Though if last season is any indication, they’ll just give it to Joe Burrow because he was the number one overall pick and Chase Young will get DRoY honors at number two.

In that regard, any player on whom a team uses a top pick would figure to be a favorite.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer put together his list of favorites for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Fifth on the list was Henry Ruggs III.

1. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
2. Johnathan Taylor, RB, Colts
3. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins
4. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers
5. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Raiders

All you heard pre-draft was how the Bama coaches, who are routinely honest with scouts, would rave about how diligent and tough Ruggs is. That tells me he’ll be ready to go when camp starts, and ready to produce when the season gets going. The one thing Ruggs has on his side—he’ll have the types of wow plays that can swing these awards.

It’s interesting Ruggs is behind another receiver, but it isn’t the consensus top two wide receivers, Jerry Jeudy and Ceedee Lamb, who were chosen after him. It’s Aiyuk who was the sixth receiver selected at 25 overall.

[vertical-gallery id=68979]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Report: Raiders gave WR Bryan Edwards a first-round grade before foot injury

The Raiders drafted not one, but two wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft; Alabama’s Henry Ruggs and South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards. While Ruggs will undoubtedly get more of the national attention after being drafted at No. 12 overall, don’t sleep on Edwards potentially having a better career.

Edwards was highly productive in the SEC, setting school records in receptions and receiving yards. In fact, he was the more productive receiver even when he and Deebo Samuel shared the field.

But before the 2020 NFL Combine was set to begin, Edwards broke his foot training and was unable to participate in any pre-draft drills. That caused his stock to drop quite a bit as he fell to pick No. 81 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Had Edwards not injured his foot, there is a real chance he would have been a top-50 selection, if not higher. In a recent article by NFL Insider Adam Caplan, he wrote about the Raiders having a first-round tape grade on Edwards before the foot injury:

“After this season, look for third-round pick Bryan Edwards, who is still rehabbing his surgically repaired ankle, to possibly start at the “X” position. Edwards doesn’t figure to have much of a role this season, but he was drafted with the belief that he could start down the line. And the Raiders were one of many teams that felt he was a first-round talent just based on tape study, but his injury history dropped him down draft boards.”

It’s not all that shocking to hear that multiple teams loved Edwards’ film in college. There just wasn’t a lot not to like as he showed production over four years in the SEC and an overwhelming amount of competitiveness. But given the overall depth of the wide receiver class this year, a foot injury caused teams to break tiebreakers against him, allowing him to fall to the third round.

If Edwards can fully recover from his foot injury, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him fly up the depth chart and into a starting role. He profiles as an “X” receiver in the NFL due to his size and physicality and could be the perfect complement to Ruggs. The Raiders might have stolen one of the best receivers in the entire class in the third round in Bryan Edwards.

[vertical-gallery id=68979]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders SS Johnathan Abram named potential breakout star by CBS Sports

By all accounts, the Raiders got elite production out of their rookie class. Josh Jacobs finished as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 running back on the season. Maxx Crosby led the team in sacks with 10 and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow was the most …

Heading into the 2020 season, expectations are high for this sophomore class. But one player that isn’t receiving enough attention is No. 27 overall pick, Johnathan Abram.

After a fantastic training camp and preseason, Abram earned the starting strong safety spot entering the season. However, he was injured in Week 1 and never returned to the field. But could he become a star in Year 2? In a recent article by Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, he laid out the case as to why Abrams could break out this season:

Abram missed the entire season with a torn rotator cuff. The energy and attitude that he brings the defensive side of the ball should help the Raiders defense play with an edge. Vocal by nature, Abram had already begun to assert himself as one of the leaders on that side of the football before sustaining his injury. He can play closer to the box if asked.

If the Raiders could get Abram back at full strength, he would undoubtedly be one of the most significant additions of the offseason. His physicality and relentlessness is something the defense severely missed last season.

As long as Abram can stay healthy, he should be in line for a monster season with the Raiders. It wouldn’t even be a shock if he led the team in tackles given where he will likely line up on most downs. Abram should become a star during the 2020 season in Paul Guenther’s defense.

[vertical-gallery id=68979]

[lawrence-newsletter]

WATCH: Every target in coverage for Raiders CB Amik Robertson in 2019

Amik Robertson isn’t your typical fourth-round cornerback. Most of the time, Day 3 picks in the defensive backfield are projects who will likely need to spend their first few seasons in the NFL on special teams before they can actually contribute on defense.

But Robertson is different. He is one of the few Day 3 picks at cornerback that can come in right away and compete for starting snaps. In 2019, he was named a First-Team All-American after recording 21 pass deflections and five interceptions. While Robertson lacks elite size, his ball skills and aggressiveness make him a perfect fit in the slot.

If you haven’t had a chance to study Robertson’s game yet, here is a video of every play that he was targeted in coverage last season. The video is 16 minutes long, but as you will see, Robertson just doesn’t get beaten very often.

Lamarcus Joyner handled most of the slot snaps for the Raiders last season, but he wasn’t particularly strong in that area. Given just how productive Robertson was during his collegiate career (48 pass deflections), it wouldn’t be surprising if the Raiders allowed him to compete for that job right away.

[vertical-gallery id=68979]

[lawrence-newsletter]

3 Raiders who could surpass expectations in the 2020 season

Every season, there are a handful of players that go on to surpass the expectations set for them in training camp. A perfect example from the 2019 season was Darren Waller emerging into one of the league’s best tight ends. Another is Maxx Crosby, who significantly out-performed No. 4 overall pick, Clelin Ferrell.

Today, we are looking at three Raiders who could make a leap this season. So without further ado, let’s get to the breakout candidates:

WR Hunter Renfrow

Despite being a fifth-round pick, Hunter Renfrow emerged as the Raiders’ best and most efficient receiver in 2019. In his final seven games of his rookie season, the former Clemson receiver caught 35 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns.

While it’s going to be difficult for Renfrow to repeat that type of efficiency, it wouldn’t be a shock if his volume rose dramatically despite some of the additions the Raiders made to their offense this offseason. Bringing in a player like Henry Ruggs III should only help Renfrow underneath and with Derek Carr’s willingness to get rid of the ball quickly, he could become the team’s top passing option behind Waller.

It’s not hard to envision Renfrow catching 4-5 passes a game, especially if the Raiders get into negative game scripts. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities for Renfrow to catch 70 or more passes this season as the team’s top receiver.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Pages: 123

Raiders rookie WR Henry Ruggs reportedly injured helping friend move

Sunday night, there were some rumors going around that Henry Ruggs III had been involved in some sort of accident. At that time there was little in the way of details in terms of what happened or how serious it was. The Raiders response was a no …

The Raiders response was a no comment, however they basically confirmed there was an accident in which an injury was involved.

“The Raiders are aware of a report regarding an off-field injury to Henry Ruggs III. Respecting Henry’s right to medical privacy, the team will not be commenting on the report.”

Those details have steadily come out, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport ultimately confirming Ruggs’s injury.

New #Raiders WR Henry Ruggs was involved in an off-the-field accident helping a friend move. I’m told “he’s OK” and while he was apparently cut or received a puncture, the wound is not serious. https://t.co/Inz4dFDxvA

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 1, 2020

The team’s top pick being injured naturally causes a lot of worried folks. But according to Rapoport, the injury is not deemed to be serious injury.

Losing Ruggs to injury before he even takes the practice field would be disastrous. For now, it appears, disaster averted.

Raiders DE Clelin Ferrell added 13 pounds of muscle this offseason, weighs in at 275

After a rocky rookie season, Clelin Ferrell promised that he would return for the 2020 NFL season as a totally different player. So far, it looks like he is making good on that promise.

According to a recent interview with his personal defensive line coach in Mark Hall via Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Hall revealed that Ferrell has put on a significant amount of muscle this offseason. In the piece, Hall says that Ferrell is currently weighing in at 275 pounds, which is up 13 pounds from last season:

The 6-foot-4 Ferrell bulked up and put on 13 pounds after an uneven rookie season that saw the No. 4 overall pick finish with 4.5 sacks, five batted passes and 24 solo tackles. Last season, Ferrell played at 262 pounds, and that doesn’t count a food-poisoning bout in Week 5 in London that robbed him of 15 pounds.

As Tafur mentioned, Ferrell played between 250 and 260 pounds last season and never really gained his strength back after Week 5. That shouldn’t be a problem this season with him putting on a significant amount of muscle to handle offensive tackles in the run game.

It’s worth mentioning that Hall emphasized that Ferrell hasn’t lost any speed this offseason, which does tend to happen when young players put on weight. 275 might be a tad heavy for Ferrell, but if he is going to continue to play both defensive end and defensive tackle for Rod Marinelli, it makes a ton of sense.

Look for Ferrell to have a bounce-back season in Year 2 now that he has reshaped his body. It also doesn’t hurt that the Raiders added talent on the defensive line such as Maliek Collins and Carl Nassib to help get to the passer as well. Ferrell should come close to doubling his sack total from the previous season in 2020.

[vertical-gallery id=66754]

[lawrence-newsletter]