Oakland Raiders: Jaydon Mickens off to good start

As the Oakland Raiders continue their search for wide receiver talent, UDFA Jaydon Mickens has surfaced his potential as a slot receiver in Rookie Minicamp.

As the Oakland Raiders continue to search for wide receiver depth this offseason, former Duke receiver and undrafted free agent Maxwell McCaffrey has drawn a significant amount of buzz, but it’s another UDFA wide receiver that is really putting on a show as the team rounds out Rookie Minicamp.

Former University of Washington receiver Jaydon Mickens played in 53 career games over a four-year span with the Huskies; he finished with the second-most receptions (203) and the fifth-most receiving yards (2,187) in school history, per GoHuskies.com. Also, Mickens carried the football 32 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns, for he was used sparingly on some fly sweeps and reverses because of his big play potential.

At 5’11”, 170 pounds, Mickens posted a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day in late March, but his elite acceleration and quickness is what allows Mickens to create early separation in both his short and vertical routes. With the ball in his hands, Mickens has enough breakaway speed to hit the home run, and his elusiveness often allows him to make defenders miss in space and break tackles on screen passes and flat routes.

Given his smaller frame, Mickens will be limited to a slot receiver role at the next level, as he will benefit from seeing less press coverage from the inside and his elite quickness will force defenses to add an extra defensive back onto the field. Also, Mickens still needs time to polish his route-running ability and overall understanding of the game despite having relatively four years of experience at Washington. Until then, Mickens’ route tree will be limited, and as a result, opposing defensive coordinators will be able to predict his routes.

With 2014 UDFA Seth Roberts expected to get the nod at slot receiver to start the season, Mickens will have to work his way into a rotation with Roberts if he is going to see the field in 2016. Roberts graded out as the 102^nd overall receiver with a below average grade in receiving, but was highly regarded for his ability as a run blocker, per ProFootballFocus.com.

In order to develop into a volume pass-catcher at the next level, Mickens may have to spend some time learning behind Roberts as he adds muscle to his frame in the weight room.

Mickens is a dynamic athlete with limitless ceiling because of his elite quickness and agility, and even though there are question marks surrounding his ability as a football player, he has already made his presence felt early in the offseason.

“Over the past three days he’s routinely flashed his quickness, and he has also shown that he could have value as a kick returner going forward,” according to Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com.

With just five receivers ahead of him on the depth chart, Mickens already has a strong chance of making the final 53-man roster, but his chances should increase significantly because of his potential as a kick returner. Former seventh-round pick Andre Debose is expected to compete with Mickens for return duties throughout the offseason.

Look for Mickens to continue to compete through OTA’s and training camp as the offseason progresses.

Austin Gayle is a Staff Writer with JustBlogBaby.com. You can follow him on Twitter @austingayle53 or contact him directly via austingayle53@yahoo.com.