With the NFL season finally coming to an end, it’s time for the Las Vegas Raiders to start looking to the draft and free agency. The team figures to be big players in the wide receiver market after the Antonio Brown addition blew up in their face in 2019. The Raiders clearly need more production from their pass catchers in 2020 and luckily for them, 2020 has one of the best rookie wide receiver classes in recent memory.
Since Al Davis took over the silver and black, one thing the team hasn’t lacked is speed at wide receiver. However, that was the case in 2019 and former Raider running back Napoleon Kaufman thinks the team needs to fix that.
There is a litany of great wide receiver prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft class, but Kaufman believes there’s one that sticks out as the top target for the Raiders.
Mock Drafts Have Lamb Going to Raiders
After a massive junior season, Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is considered the top wide receiver in the draft by a number analysts. Thanks to that fact, he could easily be off the board long before the Raiders make their first selection at number 12. However, some mock drafts have Lamb falling to Las Vegas. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. pegged Lamb as the first pick for the Raiders:
“Lamb is a big-time playmaker with great hands who will step in, catch a bunch of passes and score touchdowns.”
There probably isn’t a single person in the Raider fan base who would be upset if the team snagged Lamb. He’s an incredible talent and has the type of big-play ability that the Raiders have sorely been missing for years. Considering he has a good chance to be the first wide receiver taken off the board, the Raiders will probably be holding their breath, hoping he falls to them.
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Jerry Jeudy Would Also Be a Steal
If Lamb is taken before the Raiders select at number 12 but if Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is still on the board, the team shouldn’t be too upset. Jeudy spent most of the college football season as the obvious number one prospect heading into the draft and while Lamb is getting a lot of hype, he’ll still be at the top of some teams draft boards. CBS Sports mocks the Raiders to get Jeudy at number 12:
“Jeudy can take the top off the defense, which was the Raiders’ hope with Antonio Brown. Brown’s stay was short-lived but Jeudy can be a presence in Las Vegas for a long time.”
The Jeudy versus Lamb debate isn’t easily solved. Both wide receivers have chances to be elite in the NFL. What works in Jeudy’s favor is that Alabama wide receivers have been incredibly successful in the NFL over the last several years. What’s also exciting about Jeudy is that he’s incredibly pro-ready. The Raiders are close to making a real playoff run and having a wide receiver who’s ready to make an impact out of the gate could make a huge difference.
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