In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders added playmakers to their offense in order to catch up with the Kansas City Chiefs, AFC West and Super Bowl champions, but was it enough?
The Raiders focused on adding players to their offense this past draft after loading on defense in free agency. With the 12th, 80th and 81th selections, they picked players to bolster a subpar unit last year, wide receiver. Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards and Lynn Bowden will give the Las Vegas’ passing game a facelift.
Head coach John Gruden could try running some sweeps with Edwards and experiment with Bowden lining up as both a running back and wide receiver. Moreover, Ruggs will force defenses to show less eight man fronts and in turn open things up for the running game and his teammates.
Of course, how many of those elements will be a constant feature on the Raiders offense will depend on how the newcomers adapt to the pro game. For many players, the transition from college to the NFL is overwhelming and the Silver and Black rookie class will not be any different.
Related: It’s time for QB Derek Carr to take the Raiders back to the playoffs
According to one ESPN analyst, if the Raiders aren’t there just yet, they are trending in the right direction.
The Raiders pose the biggest threat to the Chiefs in the AFC West, per @maxkellerman. pic.twitter.com/xV0O4KlBsv
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 24, 2020
In a segment called, Who Should the Chiefs Be Afraid of, Max Kellermar points out the Raiders addressed their passing game and he’s right. General manager Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden were aware wide receiver was a position of need and tackled it in the draft. Nonetheless, he doesn’t take into account that it’s uncertain at this point if the rookies are going to be able to adapt. The plan was laid an executed. We will have to wait and see if the Las Vegas draft class will bear any fruit.
On the other hand, Kansas City has already fined tuned their offense, which is led by Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, a head coach and quarterback duo who have had the opportunity to work together for three years. The Chiefs have shown they can make it to the my champions while the Raiders are barely setting the foundation of an effective passing game.
Last season, quarterback Derek Carr threw for more than 4,000 yards, but he only scored 24 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Mahomes threw for touchdowns in spite of missing three games due to injury. If the Raiders want to best the Chiefs, they will have to light up the scoreboard and not just throw for empty yards.
On paper, Las Vegas has put a formidable offense together, but we don’t know how their draft class will perform. Kansas City will give them the opportunity to show their improvements and take the AFC West crown from them. It’s up to the Silver and Black to take it or not.
Related: Raiders add offensive players on the draft after FA focus on defense
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Top Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
