The Las Vegas Raiders‘ wide receiver room appears to be one of the team’s areas of concern ahead of the 2025 season. Jakobi Meyers is a very good player, but he’s better suited as a No. 2 option.
Las Vegas has some interesting young options like Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton, but neither of them has taken an NFL snap yet. Unless the Raiders swing a big trade for a wide receiver like Terry McLaurin, Meyers is almost certainly going to be the No. 1 option.
However, the Raiders could provide some more depth behind him. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks has been labeled a draft bust due to his struggles in his first three seasons after being a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
A fresh start might be good for Burks, and Cory Woodroof of For the Win pitched a trade that would send Burks to Las Vegas for a conditional seventh-round pick.
“Burks’ time in Tennessee feels nigh, as the former first-round receiver has struggled to live up to his draft status because of injuries. If any team in the NFL could take a flier on a former first-round wideout, it’s the Raiders,” Woodroof wrote. “Las Vegas has real questions at receiver, and Burks could contend for a starting role or a key depth role in Chip Kelly’s offense. Particularly with quarterback Geno Smith throwing the ball, we’d love to see Burks try to really get his NFL career going with one of the most pass-happy quarterbacks in the NFL. While the Titans would probably have to settle for a late pick, a fresh start feels right for all parties involved. The Raiders could be a nice landing spot for Burks at this point, and the Titans could give its younger receivers more reps.”
This Would Be a Low-Risk Move for Raiders
A conditional seventh-round pick is basically nothing for the Raiders to give up in a trade. Burks has shown little indication he’s ever going to live up to his draft status, but the Titans have also been very bad at quarterback, and the wide receiver hasn’t been healthy.
It’s entirely possible that Burks just needs stable quarterback play and a clean bill of health to look more like the player we saw at Arkansas. If the Raiders traded for him and he wasn’t working out, cutting him wouldn’t lead to much of a loss in this scenario, especially if the condition is that he needs to make the roster in order for the Titans to get the draft pick.
Raiders Might Be Set at WR
While the Raiders don’t have a true No. 1 wide receiver, they do have arguably the best tight end in the NFL in Brock Bowers. He’s going to be the top receiving option in the passing offense. That’s not to mention Michael Mayer, who could see more targets this season.
The Raiders are relying on a lot of youth at wide receiver, but that could pay off in the long run. Bech is a second-round pick, and Thornton is an athletic marvel. Perhaps letting the young guys see a heavy workload early on will end up working out.
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