ST. GEORGE — The Raiders organization will be making the move to Las Vegas in 2020, leaving their previous home in Oakland, California. With the move comes a brand new stadium as well as some new additions to the team by way of the 2020 NFL draft.
The NFL draft, which was set to take place in Las Vegas, was held remotely and broadcast on ESPN as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless, head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock had seven total picks in the draft, three of them by way of trade.
“I feel like we got better this weekend, that’s obviously the goal,” Mayock said in a YouTube video posted by the Raiders.
As for their top pick in the draft at No. 12, Ruggs III had 19 total touchdowns in his final two years at Alabama. He had 40 receptions last season and averaged 18.7 yards per reception with 821 total yards from scrimmage for the Crimson Tide.
Damon Arnette, the cornerback out of Ohio State, was taken with the Raiders’ No. 19 pick in the draft. Arnette had 35 total tackles this season for the Buckeyes and was selected to the second team All-Big Ten team.
“We got the wide receiver at pick number 12, he’s the fastest wideout in the draft. We got the corner at number 19, did an awful lot of work on him and spent a lot of time. I did school visits there, to both places, and I feel like I know both kids really well. Jon (Gruden) and I could not be more pleased.”
The picks the raiders made are below:
Round 1 – Pick 12: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
Round 1 – Pick 19: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State
Round 3 – Pick 80: Lynn Bowden Jr., WR, Kentucky
Round 3 – Pick 81: Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina
Round 3 – Pick 100 (from Patriots): Tanner Muse, S, Clemson
Round 4 – Pick 109 (from Lions): John Simpson, G, Clemson
Round 4 – Pick 139 (from Buccaneers through Patriots): Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech
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