The Oakland Raiders made a big splash by trading for Antonio Brown, but the man brought in to be their WR2 is turning heads during OTAs.
The Oakland Raiders knew they had to do something about the wide receiver group this offseason, as they finished off their 4-12 campaign in 2018 with Jordy Nelson, and very little else. After trading for Antonio Brown early in the process, a move that brings Derek Carr an elite No. 1 at the wideout position, the Raiders moved quickly to bring in some depth behind him.
On the same day they traded for Brown, general manager Mike Mayock pulled the trigger on a free agent deal for Tyrell Williams, a tremendously talented young wideout from the Los Angeles Chargers. A player adept at taking the lid off a defense, Williams has really turned eyes during his first spring with the Raiders, and fans of the team should be excited about what he brings to the table.
Maurice Moton, who does a wonderful job covering the NFL for Bleacher Report, recently posted an article that listed each team’s biggest breakout star of OTAs so far. For the Raiders, the choice was Williams.
Not only can Williams beat teams deep, but he is a tremendous route runner, and will be the perfect compliment to Brown on the outside. That will allow rookie Hunter Renfrow to do his thing in the slot, giving the Raiders the most talented group of wide receivers in the AFC West this upcoming season.
In 2016, when Keenan Allen suffered a torn ACL in Week 1, Williams stepped right in as the WR1 for the ten-San Diego Chargers, catching 69 balls for over 1,000 yards, and seven touchdowns. As the WR2 for the Raiders in 2019, there is no reason why he cannot duplicate those numbers, giving the Raiders a wide receiver tandem that will cause defenses fits.
This is a position group that is going to be so much better as a whole in 2019, and Williams is a guy who will certainly benefit from that. Everyone knows Brown is going to get his 1,000 yards, but do not be surprised if the Raiders have multiple 1,000-yard receivers this season, with Williams being one of them.