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Draft Grades: Analysts weigh in on the Raiders' 2020 Class

It's been 48 hours since the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft and the results from the eventful weekend have been marinating in the minds of analysts and fans.

Like many of us, I thought a lot about what General Manager Mike Mayock and Head Coach Jon Gruden were able to accomplish in the first draft of Las Vegas Raiders' history. The duo drafted three wide receivers, two defensive backs, and one guard. If you ask anyone, those were the three biggest areas of need on the roster and they addressed them.

Every analyst has their own evaluation of where a player ranks or where they should be drafted, but none of them are sitting in the front office of a football team making the tough decisions that actually matter. Regardless, analysts across the country formulated a draft grade for all 32 teams in the NFL, with differing opinions.

Keep in mind that none of these draft grades mean anything; however, they are interesting and entertaining to read; let's take a look.

"This is a very Raiders draft, right? They reached for the fastest prospect in the class in the first round. They took three wide receivers in their first four picks. And coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock took two more Clemson prospects, making that five total over the past two drafts.

"They clearly needed help at wide receiver, but I still thought they could take quarterback Jordan Love in Round 1 -- he was on the board for both of their picks. Instead, they're going to try to help incumbent starter Derek Carr as much as possible in 2020."

Grade: B

"The Raiders spent three of their five premium picks on targets for quarterback Derek Carr (Ruggs III, Bowden, Edwards), and used the other two to improve the back seven (Arnette, Muse). Simpson offers power on the offensive line, though was inconsistent. I'm guessing we'll continue to see more of the quickness he put on display during Senior Bowl practices. Robertson is an outstanding football player who happens to be 5-foot-8 and coming off injury. He'll be a beast for the Raiders in the slot, and I wouldn't count him out at any other spot in the secondary."

Grade: B

"Don't just call Ruggs a speedster. He's a complete route-runner with legit ball skills, as well. He doesn't have to just be a deep threat, but he looks like a sure thing in that regard. …

"Edwards has found a lot of success by physically manhandling college corners. He needs to be more than that to win in the league, though, and hasn't consistently shown he can separate downfield. He ranked just 128th overall and outside the top 20 receivers. …

"Amik Robertson is a DOG. He's a smaller cornerback who plays like he's 6-foot-10. He projects as an extremely productive slot cornerback at the next level."

Grade: C

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

"Mike Mayock had an outstanding first draft in 2019, so it's hard to doubt him. But after Ruggs, this draft has some questions. Why did they take two more receivers in the first three rounds? I did like corner Damon Arnette, their second first-round pick, better than most."

Grade: B

"We learned last year that the Raiders badly want a stud wide receiver, and now they have one who can actually be counted on. Henry Ruggs III has effortless, jaw-dropping speed, and he can produce at all three levels. That's notable because few offensive architects are as creative and diverse in three-level passing concepts as Jon Gruden. Ruggs also presents terrifying big-play potential on jet sweeps and quick screens.

"Last season, the Raiders had far fewer 20-plus-yard air throws than most teams. That should change now—though to make the Ruggs pick fully worth it, you can bet Gruden will ride Derek Carr even harder about playing aggressively."

Grade: C+

Take a look through photos from the first draft class of the Las Vegas Raiders.

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