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

The Veterans

With all of the exciting young talent surrounding the Raiders receiving group, many people are forgetting about the veterans that have a strong chance to make the 53 man roster.

The Raiders brought in both JJ Nelson and Ryan Grant this off season to not only create competition within the team, but to add to a group of strong weapons for Derek Carr.

JJ Nelson has spent his career with the Cardinals, where he never really found his stride. At 27 years old, Nelson is still one of the fastest receivers on the team, and he impressed a lot of people in training camp.

Nelson was a solid target for Carr in team scrimmages, making plays against the Rams in their scrimmage before their preseason game. Due to an injury, we haven’t seen a ton of JJ Nelson in the preseason, but he should be considered a favorite to make this team.

Ryan Grant was the WR2 for the Indianapolis Colts last season, but surprisingly, he did not produce, even with Andrew Luck as his QB. Grant has gained praise from the Raiders coaching staff, but he has not gotten as much attention as other Raiders receivers.

Grant is an odd case, as we know that the coaches like him, and we know he is a decent player, but with the buzz going around about other players, and his lack of playing time in the preseason, it is easy to forget that Grant is even with the Raiders.

Depending on who you ask, you will get mixed responses about Grant making the lineup, but I believe with how much young talent is being shown on the team, it will be hard to keep a 28 year old player with 7 career touchdowns on the roster.

Dwayne Harris has proven to be one of the best return men in football, and for that reason alone, he will more than likely make the team. Harris did virtually nothing for the Raiders in the receiving game last year, so he can hardly even be counted as a receiver, but unless DeMornay Pierson-El really impresses the Raiders coaching staff, Harris will be kept around to return kicks and punts.