Raiders 2020 NFL Draft grades: Henry Ruggs, Damon Arnette get mixed marks

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The start of Raiders general manager Mike Mayock's second draft looked a lot like his first.

The Silver and Black once again selected a dominant offensive player from Alabama -- wide receiver Henry Ruggs at No. 12 overall -- and took a defensive player in a position of need -- Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette at No. 19 overall -- higher than most experts anticipated. Swap out running back Josh Jacobs for the former and edge rusher Clelin Ferrell for the latter, and we might as well be discussing the 2019 NFL Draft (with all due respect to safety Johnathan Abram, the Raiders' third first-round pick last year).

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Much like last year, the Raiders received high marks for their offensive pick and lower grades for the surprise on defense. Here's how various experts graded the Raiders' 2020 crop of first-round picks.

Josh Schrock, NBC Sports Bay Area: Ruggs (A-minus), Arnette (B)
Ruggs: "With CeeDee Lamb still on the board, I would have put him in Silver and Black. But Ruggs is exactly the type of weapon the Raiders need. He can take their offense from Schwinn to Maserati in a heartbeat."
Arnette: "All in all, Arnette possesses the talent to come in and be a Day 1 starter in silver and black. He has the short-area quickness, physicality, coverage ability and ball skills to be a good NFL corner."

Danny Kelly, The Ringer: Ruggs (B-minus), Arnette (C)
Ruggs: "With both Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb on the board at this spot (both ranked higher on my board), though, I don’t love the value. And his fit in Oakland’s offense is a big question mark, at least with the team’s current quarterback in Derek Carr under center."
Arnette: "Arnette has plenty of upside and comes to Las Vegas battle-tested against some of the top offenses in college football, but he checks in at no. 35 on my Big Board, and with several corners ranked higher on my board, I question the value for Las Vegas."

Andrew Kulp, NBC Sports Philadelphia: Ruggs (B-minus), Arnette (F)
Ruggs: "While I love the pick on a personal level, the Raiders clearly went against conventional wisdom here by passing on Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb, both of whom were far more productive in college."
Arnette: "The craziest part to me about the Raiders selecting Arnette, a cornerback with a mid-round grade by most accounts, is how excited Mike Mayock was about it. That guy puts a lot more time into this than draftniks, but the disconnect here is stark."

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Ruggs (A), Arnette (B)
Ruggs: "You can't teach speed. This kid can take the top off. He's tough. He'll be able to handle press coverage in the NFL."
Arnette: "He's a little grabby in his technique. I think he's a South Florida kid with an attitude. I don't think there's a significant difference between him and Okudah."

Dan Kadar, SB Nation: Ruggs (C-plus), Arnette (D)
Ruggs: "Ruggs should be a playmaker for the Raiders. That’s what you expect out of a wide receiver who runs a 4.27-second 40-yard dash. But he seems much riskier than Jeudy or Lamb."
Arnette: "Arnette is a physically gifted cornerback who defends receivers throughout their routes. That could lead to him being a penalty magnet in the NFL. He also enters the NFL as an older prospect. By the time Arnette gets to his second contract, he’ll be 29."

[RELATED: Raiders among five biggest surprises on draft night]

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Ruggs (A), Arnette (C)
Ruggs: "He is capable of being a complete No. 1, not just a burner, because of his red-zone scoring prowess."
Arnette: "The Raiders reach a little here for their dire cornerback need, passing up on players such as Trevon Diggs, Jeff Gladney and Kristian Fulton to take a corner with some limitations in downfield coverage."

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