The Las Vegas Raiders are turning many heads this season, as they are now 5-3 at the halfway mark of the year.
A large part of their success is the draft selections they have made in the last two seasons.
When Jon Gruden was first brought over to the Raiders, he traded DE Khalil Mack for a plethora of picks.
It has paid off as the Raiders are finding success with young and developing talent.
Thus far on the year, QB Derek Carr is off to one of his best starts.
It is worth noting that Gruden is known for developing quarterbacks.
But, the Raiders have surrounded Carr with a good group of wideouts.
Most recently, they re-signed a former Raider to their practice squad.
Las Vegas Raiders Sign Rico Gafford To Practice Squad
Earlier in the week, the Vegas Raiders announced the re-signing of Rico Gafford.
Gafford was on the roster earlier in the season, but got cut.
He is now back, and the signing comes at an odd time.
Rico Gafford is back on the Raiders’ practice squad.
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) November 10, 2020
Gafford was on the Raiders since 2018 and throughout that 2-year span, he only posted 1 touchdown.
But, he is popular amongst the fans and is known for his speed.
The Raiders invested one of their early draft picks in Alabama WR Henry Ruggs, who has shown flashes this season.
He has dealt with injuries early on, but appears to be healthy now.
HENRY RUGGS. 72-YARD TOUCHDOWN 🤯
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/1qt4gEY13j
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 11, 2020
Against Kansas City, he showed that speeds kills as he blew right by the Cover 1 defense.
The signing of Gafford comes at an odd time though as the Raiders receiving core has been playing well and is healthy.
The only Vegas wide out on the IR is Tyrell Williams.
While Gafford is on the practice squad for the time being, it will be interesting to see if the Raiders activate him at any point moving forward.
Nelson Agholor Has Been Great For The Raiders
One free agency addition that has really paid off for Vegas was the signing of WR Nelson Agholor.
Agholor spent his early career in Philadelphia where he was often trolled by the ruthless Eagles fans as having “no hands”.
He certainly had his moments of poor drops, but has redeemed himself and is playing some of his best football with the Raiders.
He has developed good chemistry with his quarterback and it is showing off on the field.
Most TD rec. gaining 20+ yards:
💥 Tyreek Hill – 5
💥 D.K. Metcalf – 4
💥 Nelson Agholor – 4 pic.twitter.com/CBOOkL20dr— PFF (@PFF) November 9, 2020
Agholor, along with Ruggs, is considered a deep threat for the Raiders.
He has great size and has been using it to get leverage on the outside.
That was on display this past weekend as he caught a beautiful 45-yard touchdown pass against the LA Chargers.
.@DerekCarrQB on the money to Nelson Agholor for the 45-yard @Raiders TD! #RaiderNation
📺: #LVvsLAC on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/LhAplcRHXB pic.twitter.com/hBuwDbAm94— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2020
If you watch the clip, he runs his route so he can position himself with leverage over the top, leaving Carr with space to drop the ball.
He starts off going inside, sizes up the cornerback and then bursts toward the outside.
This was only one of the many big plays he has made for his new team.
Don't look now but Nelson Agholor leads the NFL with 20.4 yards/reception.
He averaged 9.3 last season.#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/485c4pdmfM
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) November 11, 2020
Ironically, his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, could use a receiver like Nelson Agholor right about now.
NEXT: Cory Littleton Now Worst-Graded Defensive Starter For Raiders