Getty Las Vegas Raiders RB Lynn Bowden Jr.
Last year, the Las Vegas Raiders fielded a very efficient offense but it wasn’t very dynamic outside of Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs. A lot of that had to do with the fact that they lost Antonio Brown right before the season started. Heading into 2020, there’s no reason the team shouldn’t have one of the best offenses in the NFL.
One of the more interesting picks the Raiders made was drafting Lynn Bowden Jr. in the third round. Bowden mostly played wide receiver and quarterback in college but Las Vegas is planning to use him as a running back. However, it’s a little more complex than that. Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson recently revealed the team’s plans for him.
“Right now, we have him working out of the running back room,” Olson told the media on Tuesday. “But he’s also had to learn a lot of things that we do at the quarterback position. … You see the game changing, with the use of RPOs and the Taysom Hills and those types of players, they become valuable. We believe that [Bowden] can transition and be a running back, as well as do some of those plays at the quarterback position that he did in college.”
Taysom Hill has become a very unique weapon for the New Orleans Saints. Bowden has the potential to be even more effective in a similar role. He was a good wide receiver in college and helped turn his team around when they moved him to quarterback. Bowden isn’t about to become the team’s top rusher or receiver, but he brings a new dynamic to the offense that could be hard to stop.
Next Cliff Branch?
The Raiders have interesting plans for Bowden but first-round pick Henry Ruggs should be the star of the 2020 NFL Draft class. The team didn’t have a whole lot of speed last season but that’s going to change now.
“That was the number one reason we drafted him, his speed,” Olson said of Ruggs. “The owner, Mark [Davis], mentioned that we’re looking for the next Cliff Branch [and) he hasn’t disappointed.”
Davis has already compared Ruggs to Raiders legend Cliff Branch. When he was playing, he was one of the best deep threats the NFL has ever seen. The team probably has a lot of plans for Ruggs but being a deep threat seems to be the biggest one.
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Olson Praises Bryan Edwards
The Raiders had a clear goal of adding playmakers in the draft this year and they definitely found some. Ruggs will get the most hype at wide receiver but Bryan Edwards could end up being the star of the class. Olson gave some insight into what the rookie does well.
“The thing that jumps out at you is just how thick of a person he is,” Olson said. “He has great size and ball skills and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do once we get up to full speed.”
Edwards is the kind of big-bodied wide receiver the Raiders need in the red zone. They struggled significantly when near their goal line. Edwards is the type of wide receiver that’s going to get up high and steal catches from cornerbacks. He could have a surprisingly effective rookie season.
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