Raiders draft Kentucky WR Lynn Bowden with 80th pick

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Kentucky wide receiver Lynn Bowden with the 80th pick in the NFL draft, the first of three picks the Raiders have in the third round.

Bowden ran for 1,468 yards and scored 13 touchdowns as a junior in 2019, and amassed 1,816 yards from scrimmage. Bowden was used all over at Kentucky, and even threw 74 passes last season, throwing for 403 yards and three touchdowns, while starting the final eight games of the season at quarterback.

The Raiders announced Bowden as a wide receiver, and called him a weapon. He also caught 67 passes for 745 yards as a sophomore.

From A Sea of Blue:

Bowden, who won the 2019 Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player, was expected to be a full-time receiver and special teams returner in the NFL, though one would hope his new team will find other intuitive ways to get him involved in the offense. After all, Bowden is arguably the most versatile player in the entire 2020 draft class.

Bowden fits the Raiders’ stated need for speed.

“When you’re in the division we’re in and you look at Kansas City and you look at what they have on offense and what their explosion looks like, we needed to get faster,” general manager Mike Mayock told reporters Thursday.

Raiders 2020 NFL Draft picks:

• Round 1 (12th): Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver, Alabama
• Round 1 (19th): Damon Arnette, cornerback, Ohio State
• Round 3 (80th): Lynn Bowden, wide receiver, Kentucky
• Round 3 (81st): Bryan Edwards, wide receiver, South Carolina
• Round 3 (100th): Tanner Muse, linebacker/safety, Clemson
• Round 4 (121st): John Simpson, guard, Clemson
• Round 4 (139th): Amik Robertson, cornerback, Louisiana Tech

How to watch the rest of the NFL Draft

• What: Rounds 4-7
• When: Saturday, 9 a.m. PT
• Raiders fourth-round pick: No. 121
• Raiders fifth-round pick: No. 159
• Raiders sixth- and seventh-round picks: none
• TV: ESPN, NFL Network, ABC, ESPN Deportes
• Radio: ESPN Radio
• Streaming: Watch ESPN, NFL.com, fuboTV (7-day free trial), SlingTV