One play that defines every Raiders draft pick

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 | 2 a.m.

There’s a lot of work that goes into analyzing draft talent. NFL general managers and coaches and scouts watch hours upon hours of video in order to inform their opinions on each prospect; it’s a painstaking and important process, but who has time for all that?

After working through the available video of each player drafted by the Raiders, I’ve identified one play that defines each of the seven picks.

Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama

First round, No. 11 overall

There’s some basic football math that puts the offense at a natural disadvantage. Defenses don’t have to devote a man to “cover” the quarterback, so most plays are really an 11-on-10 proposition in favor of the D.

Wildcat formations, mobile QBs and option attacks can force the defense to commit to the passer, evening out the field a bit; for teams with a pocket passer, however, there is one other way to level things out.

A player like Henry Ruggs can do that. With his insane deep speed, defenses will have to devote an extra defensive back to provide safety coverage over the top. If they don’t respect him, this is what could happen:

Working against single coverage on that play, Ruggs flies past the corner to create a full five yards of separation. It’s almost impossible to not turn that play into a touchdown, and the quarterback nearly does it by severely underthrowing the pass. Ruggs stops and turns to make the catch, allowing the DB to catch up; then he turns on the jets again and pulls away from a standstill. Touchdown.

Defenses have to play Ruggs over the top on every snap. Even if Ruggs only puts up, say, 700 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, the impact he’ll have on the rest of the offense should become very clear (assuming the coaching staff figures out how to utilize it). Ruggs gets double coverage, and the rest of the Raiders offense gets a level playing field. That’s worth a first-round pick.

Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State

First round, No. 19 overall

Arnette is a junkyard dog at the cornerback position. He’s not the fastest, he’s not the most athletic, but he will fight and scrap to defend every inch of every route.

On this snap, he’s defending a slot fade. He keeps his hands on the receiver for the entirety of the play, then goes up and knocks the ball away to save a touchdown. Good play. Now watch:

That’s an Arnette special. He uses one arm to pin the receiver’s hand down, forcing him to attempt a one-handed circus catch — and the guy almost pulls it off! But Arnette uses his other arm to rip through the ball at the point of the catch, dislodging it at the last second to save the touchdown.

From the physical coverage to the hand-fighting to the late rip, that’s textbook Arnette and a great example of what to expect from him as a Raider.

Lynn Bowden, WR/RB, Kentucky

Third round, No. 80 overall

Mike Mayock said the Raiders intend to use Bowden as a running back for now, but whether he’s working out of the slot or the backfield his best trait is his elusiveness. This play from the 2019 Citrus Bowl is designed to do one thing: Get the ball in Bowden’s hands and let him go to work against the Penn State defense.

After slipping through the initial defender’s tackle attempt and breaking another’s ankles with a sharp outside cut, Bowden turns on the jets for a 57-yard gain:

The Raiders can use him on gadget plays and as a hybrid runner/receiver, giving him a couple chances every week to break a big play. As he grows into a more specified role he can earn more playing time.

Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina

Third round, No. 81 overall

This play isn’t Edwards’ best highlight — he had some absolutely crazy catches during his college career — but it is indicative of what he can bring to the Raiders as a big-bodied wideout who can shield the ball from defenders and run through tackles for extra yards:

At 6-foot-3, 212 pounds, Edwards is capable of that kind of physicality, making him a potentially fine complement to a receiving corps that features smaller threats like Ruggs, Bowden and Hunter Renfrow.

Tanner Muse, LB, Clemson

Third round, No. 91 overall

You don’t draft players in the third round because of their potential on special teams, but it helps. Kick coverage is all about effort, attitude and want-to, and Muse has that in spades.

In this famous play from this year’s college football playoffs, he sprints the length of the field to save a touchdown:

That kind of maniacal hustle will earn Muse a key spot on the Raiders’ special teams units as he tries to refine his linebacker skills.

John Simpson, OG, Clemson

Fourth round, No. 109 overall

It would be easy (and fun) to post a video of the 6-foot-4, 321-pound Simpson plowing over defenders in the run game because there are a lot of examples of him doing just that. But instead of showing a highlight, let’s watch a video that shows an area in need of improvement.

On this play, Simpson is lined up at left guard and tasked with sealing his man on a run to the outside. He is slow off the snap, however, which allows his defender to penetrate and blow up not only the pulling right guard but the pulling right tackle as well. The run goes nowhere:

Simpson is huge and powerful, but he’ll have to improve his quickness in order to execute blocks like this and earn a role with the Raiders.

Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech

Fourth round, No. 139 overall

Robertson was college football’s highest-graded cornerback last year, according to Pro Football Focus, but only 4.8 percent of his snaps came in the slot. Though he did a good job of dogging bigger receivers on the outside in 2019, at 5-foot-8 and less than 190 pounds the slot is probably his future home at the NFL level.

The good news is Robertson has the skills to defend slot receivers. He lines up inside on this play and knocks down a potential touchdown pass:

Not only does he read the route and actually break before the receiver, he then uses his quickness to cut in front and his athleticism to leap for the near-interception.

If Robertson can play the slot like this in the NFL, he’ll be a steal at pick No. 139.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.