Now that Tyrell Williams (shoulder) has been ruled out for the season, the Raiders have five receivers who are essentially locks to make the team.
Hunter Renfrow, Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards, Nelson Agholor, and Zay Jones will make Jon Gruden’s initial 53-man roster, but given that two on that list are rookies, will Gruden be inclined to keep a sixth receiver?
Most likely.
So let’s look at Gruden’s options if he decides to keep six receivers.
Keelan Doss
Everyone remembers Doss from the 2019 preseason and the Raiders were pretty aggressive in getting him back after he signed with the Jaguars. Doss turned 24 in March and he has a year in Gruden’s offense already on his resumé.
Rico Gafford
Gafford is a speedster who has two years with Gruden to his credit. He has an edge on the rest of the receivers on the bubble because of his speed. Ruggs III has elite speed and Gafford is the only wide receiver on the Raiders roster who can run with him.
Marcel Ateman
A seventh-round pick from Gruden’s first draft with the Raiders, Ateman has 20 receptions in two years with the team. At 6’4, he brings size to the position, but has struggled a little with drops in his short career.
De’Mornay Pierson-El
A feisty receiver that is a little undersized, Pierson-El seems like a long shot to make the team, but with limited access to training camp, who knows how he’s been performing? Either way, Pierson-El is practice team eligible and should be relatively easy to sneak back onto the team if he isn’t on the initial 53-man roster.
Maybe the Raiders will move forward with five receivers, but look out for Gafford. He has only two career receptions in the NFL, but one was memorable.
As of now, pencil in Gafford. There is, after all, no substitute for speed.
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