In their first season in Las Vegas, the Raiders took another step forward under Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, but fell short of postseason for the fourth consecutive year, stumbling in the final stretch, losing five of their last seven games and finishing in 8 -8.
Although the product in the field has improved, Mayock said he would like to see more of his rookie class.
“I was disappointed with the productivity of our newbies, I will be the first person to admit it,” said the general manager of Raiders, through the team’s official website. “You can make excuses, you can have a conversation about why. Henry Ruggs, I think he is who he is, I’m not disappointed in Henry; I think Henry has to improve. We knew how fast he is, but he has to stay longer strong, and he has to get in and out of the breaks better. You need to feel him coming out of the breaks more so that he gets to the next level, and I think he will make it, but we have a long-term view of Henry Ruggs.
“(Damon) Arnette was the other player from the first round. On the training ground before the injury, he was playing very well. We were very excited about Damon Arnette. He is instinctive, strong and fast, but concussions, a broken hand, COVID – he managed to take care of business in the off-season. Nutrition, strength trainer, consistency of a day-to-day program. “
The Raiders had seven choices in the draft in 2020: wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, cornerback Damon Arnette, running back Lynn Bowden, WR Bryan Edwards, linebacker Tanner Muse, point guard John Simpson and CB Amik Robertson.
Vegas quickly rescued Bowden, moving him to Miami before the season began. Muse suffered a foot injury and did not play anything. Simpson played as well as you would expect from a novice striker in the middle of the round on penalties. Robertson appeared in eight games, winning four tackles and no defending passes. Edwards played in 12 games with three matches, picking up just 11 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. Arnette appeared in just nine games (seven games), winning 25 tackles and two defending passes. And Ruggs managed 26 receptions for 452 yards and two scores in 12 games.
Clearly, injuries played an important role, but none of the 2020 classes had much of an influence on the season. The fainting at the end of the season, when newcomers become difference makers or hit a barrier, can be a direct result of younger players not stepping into the forefront at the start of the season.
Mayock knows that the 2021 choices must happen if Vegas is to take the next step. Getting improvements in Year 2 from the 2020 newbies would also be a big plus.
GM has the specific intention of updating the defense this season, in the first year with the new coordinator Gus Bradley.
“Well, you have to start in defense,” Mayock said in a separate interview with The Athletic. “And, to be honest with you, it’s all three levels. We have to speed up the quarterback better; we have to play better in the linebacker position and our young defenders have to be more cohesive and play better. You can make excuses, which “I don’t want to do it. We have a very young defensive backfield. It was a COVID year. I think we had a lot of injuries. John Abram didn’t train much throughout the year. Our first round pick, Arnette, had some concussions and COVID. We we just never got it in the back. Some of those guys were called up and they need to play better. “
Mayock’s message is clear: Raiders need their young players more in 2021, or they will once again be excluded from the postseason.