Las Vegas Raiders: 3 positions to target in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft
By Seth Carlson
1. Wide Receiver
Quarterback Derek Carr could use some weapons to throw to. How convenient, then, that this year’s wide receiver class is being touted as one of the deepest ever, making it an obvious position to target for teams in need of a dynamic playmaker on the offensive side.
Analyzing the Raiders’ talent at wide receiver, it’s evident that Jon Gruden and company have established depth at the position. Depth, while important to have over the course of a season, does not necessarily equate to outright talent.
Out of all the pass-catchers on Las Vegas’ roster, only tight end Darren Waller eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2019.
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Having your tight end be your leading receiver is not typically indicative of an offense that is well built, as being too reliant on a tight end can become very predictable in a game where unpredictability is king.
To provide some context on just how much the production fell off from Waller to the teams’ wide receivers, consider that the team’s leading wideout in yards was 2019 offseason free-agent acquisition Tyrell Williams, with 651 yards on 42 receptions.
The next leading receiver was 2019 rookie Hunter Renfrow, the team’s fifth-round pick, who had 605 yards on 49 catches. And it’s not like Zay Jones, Nelson Agholor, Marcell Ateman, Rico Gafford or Keelan Doss are players that are likely to inspire confidence.
With receiver names like Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs, and Justin Jefferson all projected to fall between picks 11 and 20 in the upcoming draft, and the Raiders possessing two of those picks, the team has a chance to drastically improve their receiving corps heading into 2020.