Davante Adams was supposed to be the player who got the Las Vegas Raiders over the hump. But in typical Adams fashion, he balled out for a short period, the team didn't get where it wanted to go, and he ruffled too many feathers in the building to stick around. Fans know how his tenure ended.
In the time since Adams was traded to the New York Jets, he hasn't been shy about throwing shade at the Silver and Black and criticizing them at every turn. Adams went from a potential franchise savior and Raiders icon to being "he who shall not be named" in Las Vegas.
Admittedly, though, the Raiders could use a player of Adams' caliber right about now, as they have no established high-end talent after dishing him and Jakobi Meyers in consecutive seasons. Las Vegas just got another casual reminder of that reality in a recent NFL wide receiver ranking.
Former Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams remains in rare air in latest NFL WR ranking
The media's perception of Adams seemingly doesn't match what those around the league see. Whereas Raider Nation and other fanbases feel that Adams has lost a step and massively benefits from being on a loaded Los Angeles Rams offense, he is still touted for his individual greatness.
Pro Football Focus ranked the top wide receivers in the NFL, and Adams landed at No. 24. That seems like a fair place to slot him in. But ESPN's Jeremy Fowler talked to executives, coaches and scouts around the NFL, and the consensus was that Adams is still the 10th-best wideout in the league.
This is a step up from being an honorable mention last year, and one NFL personnel person had Adams as high as No. 6. These people spend their lives evaluating talent at this level, so it's fair to say that Adams has still got it.
"The only top-10 receiver in his 30s, Adams secured the last spot on the list despite producing his lowest receiving yardage total (789) since 2015. But look what he did for Matthew Stafford. The two had an easy connection on go balls and back-shoulder throws. Stafford threw 14 touchdowns to Adams on his way to the MVP award."
Just when it seemed like the Raiders were escaping the ghost of Adams now almost two years removed from trading him away, they were frustratingly reminded of the talent that they lost and have not been able to find or replace.
"His instincts and route running are still there even as his athletic traits have declined," an NFC exec said. "He just knows how to get open."
Obviously, this ranking wouldn't hurt that bad if Las Vegas had a clear-cut No. 1 wideout headed into the 2026 NFL season. And maybe it shouldn't hurt. Maybe this is just peak offseason frustration because there is no news breaking from Raiders HQ, and so I have nothing else to think about...
But if Las Vegas' young wideouts don't pan out and Adams has another good season this year, and Jakobi Meyers shows out once again with the Jacksonville Jaguars on top of that, then Raider Nation will surely grow even more impatient and frustrated.
Yes, getting rid of both Adams and Meyers were the right moves at the time; they didn't want to be in Las Vegas. But the better they play in a non-Raiders uniform, the more of a painful reminder it is for supporters of the Silver and Black.
Add us as a preferred source on Google