2020 Draft Class Stacked at Wide Receiver
The 2020 draft will be a good time to address a void at wide receiver.
Here’s a mind-blowing projection. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has nine wideouts listed on his top 50 big board—with six going in the first round of his latest mock draft.
Financially, the Raiders would be better off paying a top wide receiver prospect almost half the amount Anderson reportedly wants on the open market. Prospects like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault, Henry Ruggs III and Justin Jefferson will come into the league with high potential as projected top-32 picks.
With an influx of high-end pass-catchers entering the league for 2020, the Raiders have no reason to overpay for a No. 2 wide receiver. That’s not a knock on Robby Anderson, but let’s not forget the NFL is a business. At every turn, general managers want the best bang for their buck or the most return on investments.
At Nos. 12 or 19, the Raiders can select a rookie wideout and see similar or possibly more production out of that player than Anderson.
Just for perspective, rookie fifth-rounder Hunter Renfrow (49-605-4) posted numbers similar to Anderson (52-779-5) this past season and played in three fewer games because of a broken rib and punctured lung. The Jets wideout had 25 more targets (96 to 71).
The Raiders could save about $7 million and maximize their resources with a decision to choose a wide receiver in the first round of the 2020 draft over Anderson in free agency. Keep in mind, defensive end Clelin Ferrell, the team’s top first-rounder from the 2019 draft, had a $7.13 million cap hit in his first season.