The Las Vegas Raiders had one of the worst receiving corps in football last season. General manager Mike Mayock plans on changing that.
"We need to get better at wideout," Mayock told reporters Tuesday, adding the team is "hoping to find a wideout that fits the Raiders' need and culture."
The Raiders have picks Nos. 12 and 19 in the first round of this month's draft. Mayock could use some of the team's draft capital to trade up into the top 10 if he feels one of the receivers stands out above the rest.
However, it's likely a smarter bet that the Raiders stay put in what's been described as one of the deepest wide receiver classes in NFL history. CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III are considered potentially elite WR1s, and the likes of Justin Jefferson and Tee Higgins aren't too far behind.
The Raiders will almost certainly be able to select one of the proverbial Big Three at No. 12. They may even get lucky enough to have their pick of the three if the depth at wideout causes some teams in the top 10 to prioritize more scarce positions of need.
At this time last year, the Raiders thought they had their wide receiver problem solved. They traded draft picks for Antonio Brown and signed Tyrell Williams to a huge contract in free agency. Brown never played a game for the Raiders after a falling-out with the organization, and Williams put up a disappointing stat line of 42 receptions, 651 yards and six touchdowns.
The Raiders made little effort to improve the position in free agency, only agreeing to a contract with the oft-maligned Nelson Agholor. While quality at the position was hard to come by this offseason, it was a surprise that the Raiders weren't in on a guy like Robby Anderson, whose two-year, $20 million deal with the Panthers was a relative bargain.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
