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The Las Vegas Raiders have a huge need at wide receiver, but that doesn’t seem like that will be the case after draft night. The team has two first-round picks and this year’s class is absolutely loaded with talent from top to bottom at the position. To make things even better, all of the top wide receivers are widely predicted to be available when the Raiders select at number 12.
The big three are CeeDee Lamb out of Oklahoma and Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs out of Alabama. It’s anybody’s guess which one of the three will be taken first. Lamb to the Raiders could be building some momentum as he recently revealed on Instagram Live that he’s met with the team via Zoom.
Raiders fans have been excited about the idea of Lamb joining the team since he was seen wearing an old school Fred Biletnikoff jersey during the college football season. Las Vegas couldn’t go wrong if they added the dynamic wide receiver, but there’s still a lot of competition for who will be the first player drafted at the position.
Lamb, Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs?
If no wide receiver is drafted before the Raiders pick at 12, the team is going to have a big decision on their hands. CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs all have the potential to be superstars in the NFL. Lamb has been compared to DeAndre Hopkins and his ability after the catch would be perfect for Jon Gruden’s offense. He also has a ridiculous pair of hands. Considering Derek Carr’s wide receivers have been terrible at holding onto the ball over the last few years, it would be a nice change of pace to get somebody in there who won’t drop a lot of passes.
Jeudy is probably the most polished prospect in the draft and should be a big contributor from day one. He’s already an elite route-runner and has really good speed. Alabama has churned out a number of very good NFL wide receivers, so that also works in his favor. He’s probably the safest prospect.
Ruggs is definitely the wild card of the bunch as his Tyreek Hill comparison will have some coaches salivating. Thanks to his incredible speed, his ability as a route runner and pass catcher are often overlooked. He’s not going to be Darrius Heyward-Bey, but he’s probably the riskiest prospect compared to the other two.
In the end, Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock showed that they like to play things safe in last year’s draft. The Raiders can’t have another year of subpar wide receiver play. The most likely outcome is that the team takes Jeudy, but Lamb isn’t out of the running. Ruggs seems like a longshot unless Las Vegas decides to wait until their second first-round pick to address the position.
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What Mock Drafts Are Saying
Based on mock drafts from around the media, it appears there are a number of different ways the Raiders could go with their first first-round pick. CBS Sports has the Raiders going with Lamb at number 12:
Yes, the Raiders need a top cornerback, but they haven’t had a true No. 1 receiver since trading away Amari Cooper. Because of that, Gruden and Mayock should order the Lamb.
Pro Football Focus also had the Raiders selecting Lamb. However, in both mock drafts, Jerry Jeudy was no longer on the board. In a mock draft by Bleacher Report, they have the Raiders taking Jeudy. It’s hard to get a gauge of who exactly the team favors and a surprise isn’t out of the question based on last year’s draft. It would be totally in character for Mayock and Gruden to take somebody like Tee Higgins at number 12. That said, it appears the play will be to either take Jeudy or Lamb in the first round.
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