The Las Vegas Raiders had a chance to alter the trajectory of their franchise with a hoard of 2020 draft picks. It turns out, they might have done just that.
Jon Gruden has a $100 million contract. If that money was lit on fire, how long would it burn for?
Apparently, the answer is 10 years.
If you’d like to ignore three years of losing records as direct evidence of incompetence, feast your eyes on the Raiders’ 2020 draft. There, Las Vegas had a trio of third-round picks and a pair of first-rounders, resulting from the ’18 trade which sent future Hall of Fame edge rusher Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears.
With five top-100 picks, here’s who the brain trust of Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock selected…
No. 12 – Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama
No. 19 – Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State
No. 80 – Lynn Bowden Jr., WR, Kentucky
No. 81 – Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina
No. 100 – Tanner Muse, LB, Clemson
Raiders’ 2020 draft class is trending towards historic, and not in a good way
Fast forward to today, and both Muse and Bowden are no longer with the team, neither ever playing a single regular-season snap in sliver and black. Muse was released on Monday morning after missing all of 2020 with a toe injury, while Bowden was traded to the Miami Dolphins last September. Incredibly, the Raiders also sent over a ’21 sixth-rounder to receive a fourth-round pick that same year.
As for the three guys still on the roster, Ruggs had 26 catches for 453 yards and two touchdowns as an underwhelming rookie, while Arnette — who was largely considered a reach when he was picked — is already a potential backup for a horrific defense.
As for Edwards, the former SEC star had 11 receptions for 193 yards and one score as a rookie.
Having five picks in the top 100 selections and not landing a single impact player — while 40 percent of that group never sees any action for you — is almost impossible. The Raiders, who have been rebuilding for the better part of 20 years, desperately needed to hit on a few of those choices to become competitive in the tough AFC West.
Instead, Gruden and Mayock whiffed atrociously to this juncture. If Ruggs and Arnette don’t swiftly develop, the class will be remembered as one of the biggest mistakes this regime had, which says something considering the Clelin Ferrell selection and the Antonio Brown debacle.
The Raiders handed $100 million to Gruden. So far? Up in smoke.