Prior to the 2021 season, there was a lot of chatter about how the Raiders would fare with their young wide receiver group – especially after losing Nelson Agholor to the Patriots in free agency.
As it turned out, Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards were both ready to assume a full time role and the Raiders offense has hardly skipped a beat without Agholor.
But who has been the most dangerous pass-catcher in the Raiders’ offense this year?
Four different players on the Raiders’ roster have 300+ receiving yards this year, but only one can claim to have Derek Carr’s highest quarterback rating when being targeted. Let’s take a look at Carr’s quarterback rating when throwing to each his top four targets: Darren Waller, Ruggs, Edwards, and Hunter Renfrow.
Darren Waller (90.1 QB rating)
Surprisingly, Waller is on the receiving end of Carr’s lowest quarterback rating among this group. A desperation heave to Waller near the end of the Chargers game resulted in a Derwin James interception that significantly dropped Carr’s rating on throws to Waller.
James’ interception was Carr’s only interception on a throw intended for any of his ‘Big Four’ receiving targets.
Waller has been targeted 52 times by Carr resulting in 33 completions. Not a particularly high 63.4 percent completion rate for a player of Waller’s caliber.
It’s worth noting, however, that Waller generally draws a crowd in coverage. When he isn’t open, someone else usually is.
Bryan Edwards (102.6 QB rating)
Edwards had a touchdown called back and came a yard away from a game-winning touchdown in the season opener against the Ravens. If not for those minor mishaps, Carr’s rating when throwing to Edwards would be 119.6.
Still, a 102.6 rating is solid and Edwards is one of only three receivers in the NFL (Ruggs being one of the three) with 15+ receptions that is averaging more than 20 yards per reception.
Hunter Renfrow (116.0 QB rating)
Renfrow is as reliable as any receiver in the league when it comes to short and intermediate routes. No wide receiver on the Raiders’ roster has been targeted more than Renfrow even though he isn’t on the field as much as Ruggs and Edwards.
Whether it’s Jalen Ramsey or Xavien Howard in coverage, there almost always seems to be a window where Renfrow is open. Statistically, he’s among the best in the league at creating separation from defensive backs.
Henry Ruggs (129.4 QB rating)
Speed kills.
Through six games, Ruggs’ average depth of target is 18.6 yards – highest in the league for any player with at least 10 receptions. He also leads the league in yards per reception (22.3 YPC). Ruggs only has two drops on the season (same number as Renfrow) and he continues to open up underneath routes for teammates. The difference this year is Ruggs has 445 receiving yards of his own. He had 452 receiving yards for the entirety of his rookie season.
Right now there aren’t many wide receivers playing at a higher level than Ruggs… and he’s only 22 years old.
Carr’s QB rating when throwing to the ‘Big Four’ is spectacular
Not surprisingly, Carr’s rating when throwing to Waller, Edwards, Ruggs, and Renfrow is outstanding. His 111.4 QB rating when throwing to that group is significantly higher than when he targets the rest of the field at RB/WR/TE (70.2 QB rating). Carr has 4 interceptions on the season and 3 of them have come on throws to Foster Moreau, Willie Snead, and Zay Jones.
Once upon a time, defenses could key on Waller and Carr sometimes struggled to keep the offense moving through the air. But those days are in the rear view.
This year, Carr’s success throwing to Ruggs, Renfrow, and Edwards, has been just as notable as when he targets Waller. When all four are in the mix, the Raiders’ offense is nearly unstoppable.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Agreed.
This air raid is unstoppable.
And just imagine if they find a way to incorporate the 23 year old Foster Moreau. He has only been targeted seven times this year, WHY? Jason Witten isn’t there to take reps and targets away from him anymore. USE HIM, HE’S 23 years old, for God’s sake!!!!!!!!