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You know it’s the offseason when Todd McShay posts his first mock draft of the year at ESPN. McShay had a number of interesting selections in his latest mock, such as Justin Fields falling to No. 15 and DeVonta Smith going No. 3 to the Dolphins.
But one of the most surprising picks came at No. 17 with the Raiders. While it seems like a given that Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden will use their first choice on defense, they have certainly surprised us before.
In McShay’s mock, he has the team selecting Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, adding even more speed to this offense. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the potential pairing below:
“Didn’t the Raiders just draft Henry Ruggs III in the first round last year? Didn’t they then take Bryan Edwards in the third? Yes, but this team still needs playmakers on offense. Nelson Agholor is likely to be a free agent, and Edwards hasn’t yet taken the step. Waddle missed most of the 2020 season — though he could return Monday for the national championship game — but he is arguably the most explosive wide receiver in the nation. He would give coach Jon Gruden yet another speedy problem to throw at opponents and also help one of the NFL’s worst kick-return units.”
Before getting injured earlier in the season, Waddle seemed like a lock to be a top-10 pick in this upcoming draft. He might even be faster than Ruggs and is certainly a more complete receiver at this stage of his career.
While it would certainly be fascinating to see Ruggs and Waddle on the same field again, that doesn’t feel all that likely given just how badly the Raiders need to address their defense this offseason. But can Gruden say “no” to adding more speed on offense? We shall see.
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