How the 2023 Raiders offense will benefit Las Vegas in 2024
By Levi Dombro
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Receiving Stats
It is no secret that the trade for Davante Adams in 2022 and the signing of Jakobi Meyers in free agency last offseason changed the dynamic of our WR room. These two guys were going to be top dogs regardless of how you slice it, and the stats fully support this. Both these players were on the field for over 900 snaps while no other receiver saw more than 400, so this number alone speaks for itself, but let’s dive in anyway.
Surprisingly, given this disparity in snap counts, almost 35% of the team’s Targets were to homegrown players, while over 65% of them were allocated for our acquired players. Adams and Meyers dominated this category, of course, with Adams seeing 175 targets and Meyers being thrown to 103 times.
The next 4 players in succession were Josh Jacobs, Michael Mayer, Hunter Renfrow, and Tre Tucker, but none of these players saw more than 55 targets.
When it came to total Receptions, the numbers were not too far off from the aforementioned targets. 35.9% of the Raiders’ catches came from homegrown talent while 64.1% went to acquired players. Adams and Meyers once again dominated this category, reeling in 103 and 71 catches respectively, while no other player had more than 40.
Leading the way for the former Raiders draft selections were Jacobs (37), Mayer (27) and Renfrow (25), but these contributions did not rival the two leaders.
Almost identical once again are the Receiving Yards where 35.3% of the team’s 3,666 receiving yards were the product of former draft picks, whereas 64.7% went to players we traded for or signed in free agency. The familiar faces at the top remained, as Adams (1,144 yards) and Meyers (807 yards) accounted for most of the acquired production and Tre Tucker contributed the most receiving yards of any former draft pick, totaling 331 yards on the season, with Mayer (304 yards) and Jacobs (296 yards) not too far behind.
Most shocking in this review, even given the small sample size, was the disparity in Receiving Touchdowns. Only 20 touchdowns were scored through the air last year for Las Vegas, and 16 (80%) of them went to Adams and Meyers, who had 8 a piece. The other 4 (20%) touchdowns were the product of Tre Tucker and Michael Mayer, who added 2 each.
Overall, acquired talent reigned supreme when it came to receiving stats. The top two guys were the focal point of the passing game, and not only were they incredibly successful, but they will return next season. However, with Renfrow and Jacobs out of the fold for next year, much attention will be paid to sophomores Michael Mayer and Tre Tucker as possible candidates to step up. However, even more eyes will be on first-round selection Brock Bowers to play a large role. If these three young Raiders can step up and contribute in a major way, the team can feel better about its ability to develop receiving talent.