Raiders 2022 preseason: Players whose stock increased vs Vikings
Raiders 2022 preseason: Players whose stock increased vs Vikings
DJ Turner
If you watched this contest unfold, you know I have no choice but to include D.J. Turner on a list of players whose stock increased after Sunday’s matchup against the Vikings. It doesn’t matter if I want to or not – I have no choice. For those who didn’t tune in: Why do I have no choice? Because Turner put on a show both as a receiver and on special teams.
As a receiver, Turner led the team in yards through the air. In fact, Turner’s 58 receiving yards was more than double of the Raider with the second-most. His 19.3 yards per catch was also a team high, and he was the only receiver who logged a touchdown for Las Vegas, doing so on a 35-yard play.
On special teams, Turner returned one punt for 26 yards. The 25-year-old was one missed tackle away from taking it to the house, but the coverage team finished the job at the very end.
Turner has been having a great camp to this point, so this only hopes build his case for a roster spot. The problem is, over who? And how many roster spots will the Raiders allocate to receivers? The latter question is really key, being with Turner, there are at least 7 receivers who have impressed enough to earn a roster spot any other year.
Naturally, the first two receiver spots belong to the Pro Bowl pair of Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. The rest are up for grabs. Mack Hollins is as close to a lock as it gets, and the duo of Keelan Cole and Demarcus Robinson are right behind him. That’s already 5 receivers, and the Raiders may very well begin the ’22 season with only 5 receivers.
Tyron Johnson is also in this race.
Not counting special teams legend Matthew Slater, who’s designated position is technically receiver but is rostered for his ST ability, Josh McDaniels and the Patriots have carried less than 6 receivers each year since 2015. In 5 of those 7 years, the team carried only four.
This receiver group is much too talented to carry only four, so don’t expect that trend to continue anytime soon. However, the data shows anything over five is extremely unlikely. So, how does Turner fit in? Like Walter, the unfortunate truth is he likely doesn’t. That said, Turner has certainly impressed, and like Walter he’s proved his worth on an NFL roster.
Whether that NFL roster is in Las Vegas or not, we’ll be rooting for him. In the meantime, though, Turner’s stock has certainly increased from his performance in the duel against Minnesota.