The first round of the NFL Draft is just over two weeks away, but we still don’t have a grasp of who the Raiders may take with the No. 12 pick. The expectation is that the team will draft a receiver, but the one they will target is anyone’s guess.
In a recent mock draft by Evan Silva From Establish The Run, he had an interesting take on which receiver the Raiders should draft at No. 12. Silva gave the Raiders speedster Henry Ruggs III, as that should help the team decide about Derek Carr’s potential in the offense:
Channeling old boss Al Davis, Jon Gruden lands his version of division nemesis Tyreek Hill in Ruggs, whose lethal long speed should reveal to Raiders management whether or not Derek Carr is their long-term answer. Carr’s persistent unwillingness to pull the trigger on downfield throws has been a significant Raiders offensive obstacle. But Carr also hasn’t been playing with a full downfield deck.
If the Raiders do decide to select Ruggs at No. 12 over the likes of CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, it is clear that they want to implement a more vertical passing game. Carr has a massive arm, but will he be more open to using it with a legit 4.2 weapon on the outside?
Ruggs is worth the discussion at pick No. 12 and it’s not a bad thought exercise by Silva here. It will be fascinating to see which direction the Raiders go in just a few short weeks.
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