Las Vegas Raiders: Predicting winners of top 6 training camp battles
Las Vegas Raiders: Predicting winners of top 6 training camp battles
No. 5 and 6 Wide Receivers
Top Competitors Vying for Spots: Zay Jones, Nelson Agholor, Marcell Ateman, Keelan Doss, Rico Gafford, Anthony Ratliff-Williams, De’Mornay, Pierson-El
The winners of these two battles probably won’t see a lot of targets with Darren Waller, Henry Ruggs III, Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow and Bryan Edwards healthy.
However, Raiders fans can look at the last two seasons to remind themselves this team needs quality depth at the position.
Last October, the Silver and Black acquired Zay Jones from the Buffalo Bills. As a 2017 second-rounder, he has upside but didn’t carve out a steady role, catching 20 passes for 147 yards in 10 outings with the team.
Gruden may not find it hard to let go of Jones’ potential. The same goes for Nelson Agholor, a 2015 first-round pick who spent five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Agholor can line up on the outside or in the slot, which allows Gruden to move him around and use the wideout in different personnel packages. He can also return kicks on special teams as he did at USC more so than in Philadelphia.
Rico Gafford has a lot of support within the fanbase partially because of his lightning speed. One scout clocked him at 4.19 seconds on the 40-yard dash at Wyoming’s Pro Day in 2017.
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On the other hand, Gafford only caught two passes for 66 yards and a touchdown with a short-handed wide receiver unit in 2019. With more talent at the position, he has a steep uphill climb for a spot on the roster.
The same logic applies to Marcell Ateman and Keelan Doss. They haven’t shown enough with an abundance of opportunities last year. Jones and Agholor get the nod as two players with proven production who have 56-plus catch seasons on their pro resumes.
Predictions: No. 5 WR: Jones, No. 6 WR: Agholor