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As one of the Las Vegas Raiders‘ first-round picks, Henry Ruggs will be expected to make an impact on offense from his first day. Thanks to his speed, he will almost certainly have a couple of long touchdowns on the season. However, it remains to be seen if he’s truly a number one wide receiver or if he’s just a homerun hitter.
The team took another wide receiver in the third round in Bryan Edwards. Injuries led to him falling in the draft, but he’s still got a lot of potential. Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report predicted Edwards to be the Raiders’ most impactful rookie:
“The Las Vegas Raiders reshaped their wide receiver corps after tight end Darren Waller served as the team’s primary threat during the 2019 campaign.
In doing so, general manager Mike Mayock spent three draft picks on Henry Ruggs III, Lynn Bowden Jr. and Bryan Edwards. Edwards’ size (6’3″ and 212 pounds) and physicality outside the numbers give him a chance to excel early, even coming off a foot injury.”
The Raiders drafted a number of exciting rookies, so it’s a bit of surprise that Edwards was picked to be the most impactful – especially considering the team had two first-round picks.
Edwards to Do the Dirty Work?
Sobleski believes that the thing that will set Edwards apart from Ruggs is that he’ll be able to handle the dirty work:
“While Ruggs’ speed will change how opponents defend the Raiders, Edwards will likely do a lot of the necessary dirty work as a big part of the team’s passing attack.”
There’s no doubt Ruggs is the flashier player and will make more highlight-reel plays than Edwards. That said, the former South Carolina star is tall and can make contested catches. The Raiders had a second-round grade on him so they clearly believe he has start upside. He’s got a similar body type to Tyrell Williams, so that could take away from his impact early on.
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Amik Roberston Could Also Make a Quick Impact
Amik Roberston may have been the Raiders’ last pick in the draft, but he may just be the most interesting. The 5’8 cornerback from Lousiana Tech was largely thought to be one of the best slot corners in the entire draft. However, it appears his size really scared a lot of teams off.
Despite the fact that the Raiders seem set on having LaMarcus Joyner play as the slot corner after a disappointing year, it’s not impossible for him to lose his spot. Robertson is a very aggressive player and he’s not going to sit around and wait until a spot opens up. He’s coming for Joyner and the 2019 team captain better be ready for a fight.
Robertson is feisty and even if he doesn’t take Joyner’s spot, he’ll see the field in some capacity. Outside of drafting Damon Arnette and Robertson, the Raiders didn’t do anything to address their cornerback need. Young guys are going to rule the team’s secondary and Robertson could make a big impact quickly despite being a fourth-round pick.
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