The Las Vegas Raiders have selected Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III with the 12th pick in the NFL draft.
Ruggs, a favorite target of Tua Tagovailoa, totaled 40 catches for 746 yards and seven touchdowns in his junior year. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds at the combine, drawing more draft buzz.
Ruggs will offer the Raiders speed on the outside and dynamic athleticism, qualities they will need due to the departure of Antonio Brown. He’ll join quarterback Derek Carr and former teammate Josh Jacobs in the team’s new home city of Las Vegas.
The Raiders, who finished 7-9 last season and fell short of the playoffs, will lean on their young Alabama products to revitalize the struggling franchise in 2020.
Next, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a trade with the 49ers to select Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs with the 13th pick in the draft. They also received the 245th pick, and sent the 14th pick and 117th pick to San Francisco.
Wirfs, who stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 322 pounds, anchored the offensive line for a 10-3 Iowa team last season. He also impressed at the combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.85 seconds and recording 24 bench press reps.
Wirfs will have the responsibility of protecting new Buccaneer and and all-time great quarterback Tom Brady once he begins his NFL journey. He’ll join a high-powered offense that will also feature the newly un-retired Rob Gronkowski and star wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Tampa Bay went 7-9 and missed the postseason last year, and they’ll have to face an even more competitive NFC South in 2020.
Finally, the San Francisco 49ers selected South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw with the 14th pick in the draft.
Kinlaw, who’s 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, totaled 11.5 sacks in his final two years of college. He finished with an impressive 39 QB pressures last season, though the Gamecocks went just 4-8 and were not eligible for a bowl game. He did not participate in the combine due to a knee injury.
This marks the fifth time in six years that the 49ers have drafted a defensive lineman. Kinlaw will line up alongside All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa and have the opportunity to learn from veterans like cornerback Richard Sherman. The 49ers chose him to fill the shoes of star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who will play for the Colts this season.
San Francisco finished 13-3 and won the NFC West last season. They made it to the Super Bowl, but blew a double-digit lead and lost 31-20 to the Chiefs and MVP Patrick Mahomes. The drafting of Kinlaw represents a move to bolster an already formidable defense that will look to lead the 49ers back to the big game for a second chance.
