After a stellar performance on Saturday night, Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden gushed about veteran wide receiver Ryan Grant.
The Oakland Raiders kicked off their 2019 preseason in style on Saturday night, beating NFC champion Los Angeles by the score of 14-3. We got to see a ton of players step up for the Silver and Black, but one player who was not expected to play was Ryan Grant, who had been dealing with an injury.
However, Grant did in fact play for the Raiders on Saturday, and showed Raider Nation why head coach Jon Gruden was so high on him this offseason. There were plenty of teams looking at Grant for wideout depth, but he played for Gruden’s brother in Washington, and the Raiders head coach knew exactly what he would be getting from him.
Grant is the kind of player who does not say much, but certainly does everything he can to prepare his body to make an impact on Sundays. In a crowded wide receiver room, Grant has his work cut out for him in terms of the depth chart, but it is becoming clear that he is going to have a spot on this Raiders roster come Week 1.
On Saturday, Grant hauled in three catches for 32 yards, but it was the quality of the catches that really stood out. Grant showed that he can go up and make the big catch, and that is something that this offense has been lacking in recent years.
Grant was not the only wideout who impressed on Saturday, as J.J. Nelson, Keon Hatcher, and undrafted rookie Keelan Doss also made their move to ensure a roster spot. With Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, and Hunter Renfrow a lock to make this roster in 2019, that means the final three wide receiver spots are going to go down to the wire.
Of course, there is a lot of summer left to go, but it is clear that Grant has a leg up on his wide receiver competition at this point. Anytime Gruden refers to someone as “his guy,” it usually means that they will have to do something terrible to not make the roster. Based on what we know of Grant, he is just going to keep his down and play.