Silver And Black Pride
The Las Vegas Raiders are going into their seventh season since leaving Oakland, making the 2020 NFL draft class the franchise’s first in its new city. That also means all seven players selected in Vegas’ inaugural draft are or at least have had enough time to be well-established veterans in the league.
So, let’s check in on the seven players drafted six years ago and see where they are now. Spoiler alert: five of them are no longer in the league.
Raiders Stats: 20 games, 50 catches, 921 yards, 4 TDs (2 seasons)
Post-Raiders Stats: N/A
Current Team: N/A
Technically, Ruggs only played one and a half seasons in Las Vegas before being charged with and pleading guilty to DUI resulting in death and vehicular manslaughter charges. He’s still in the Nevada State prison system and is attempting to make a comeback to the NFL once he’s released. However, that will have to wait another year after the wide receiver was denied parole on June 11.
Raiders Stats: 13 games (7 starts), 0 INTs, 3 PDs, 29 tackles (2 seasons)
Post-Raiders Stats: 2 games (0 starts), 0 INTs, 0 PDs, 3 tackles (1 season)
Current Team: Houston Gamblers (UFL)
To clarify, the stat lines above are exclusive to Arnette’s time in the NFL. He’s spent the last two years in the UFL and was a solid player for the Gamblers in 2025, recording an interception and five PBUs in eight games. However, the former first-round pick had just one breakup and no picks this past season.
After getting cut by the Raiders for off-the-field concerns involving guns, Arnette spent some time on the Miami Dolphins practice squad in 2022 and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs the following offseason. However, the Chiefs released him about 10 days after signing him since he was arrested on weapon and drug charges. Arnette also spent some time on the Houston Texans’ practice squad and active roster in 2025.
Raiders Stats: N/A
Post-Raiders Stats: 26 games (7 starts), 39 catches, 294 receiving yards, 0 receiving TDs, 14 rushes, 64 rushing yards, 0 rushing TDs (3 seasons)
Current Team: N/A
A former college quarterback, Bowden was supposed to be a revolutionary “utility player” for Jon Gruden’s offense. However, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the Kentucky product became an off-field concern who needed to be traded before even playing a regular-season game because he was a potential bad influence on Ruggs and Arnette…
The Miami Dolphins received a sixth-round pick and Bowden in exchange for a fourth-rounder (that Las Vegas sent Miami for linebacker Raekwon McMillan the prior season), where the former Wildcat spent his rookie campaign and then a year on injured reserve before getting released. After that, he had brief stints with the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, DC Defenders (UFL), BC Lions (CFL) and...
