Which Oakland Raiders wide receivers should make the 53-man roster?

The Young Guys

Out of all the Raiders young receivers playing in preseason right now, nobody has more hype behind him than Keelan Doss. Doss has recorded 11 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, including a very impressive catch on the sideline in last weeks game against the Packers.

Most people believe that Doss will make the roster after his last few games in the Silver and Black, and it is hard to blame them. Doss has made big plays over the course of the last few games, and has started to separate himself from the pack. I believe he will make the 53 man roster come week 1.

De’Mornay Pierson-El had a standout game last week against the Packers, as most believed he was just a return man, he proved that he can be a receiver, as well. He recorded 6 catches for 38 yards, including a touchdown in the back of the end zone that helped the team win the game in the 4th quarter.

The one thing standing in Pierson-El’s way of making the lineup is Dwayne Harris. Even though Pierson-El proved that he can be more than just a return man, his skill set does not contribute as much to the team as Harris’s return ability, making the chances of him making the lineup very slim.

Rico Gafford and Keon Hatcher have had very similar preseasons, as Gafford has recorded six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, and Hatcher has recorded five catches for 88 yards.

Considering how close these stats are, you have to dig deeper to see the significance of them. Out of Gafford’s 87 yards, 53 of them came off of one long touchdown pass against the Cardinals. You could argue that this helps his case, proving that he can make big plays, or you could argue that one play should not help him so much.

Either way, I do not believe Gafford or Hatcher will make the team, but if I had to choose one over the other, I believe Hatcher has a better chance than Gafford. Both players have had on and off weeks, so this last week could be the deciding factor.

Marcell Ateman was one player who many had high expectations for heading into this off season, and many believed he would make the roster. This does not appear to be the case, as Ateman has been almost non existent in the last few games.

Ateman has a different skill set than the other receivers on this list, having a good mix of size and athleticism, but he has not been able to transfer it to the games, which leads me to believe that he won’t make the team.