The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offense should take a significant step forward this season. They had one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season, and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was fired during the year.
The team also cycled through three different starting quarterbacks. This year, the Raiders have Chip Kelly calling the plays and Geno Smith at quarterback. Just those two additions should lead to major strides.
However, there’s still one area of the offense that’s a bit concerning. Jakobi Meyers is the only proven veteran wide receiver on the roster, but at best, he’s a very good No. 2. Tre Tucker has shown flashes, but he’s mostly just a speedy vertical option.
The Raiders drafted a few wide receivers, but it remains to be seen if they can be impactful this season. Mike Clay of ESPN went through every position group in the NFL and named the Raiders’ wide receiver as the “shakiest” in the league.
“Jakobi Meyers (one of 15 players with 800-plus receiving yards each of the past four seasons) is as underrated as they come, but he simply doesn’t have much proven help,” Clay wrote. “Tre Tucker, the Raiders’ 2023 third-round pick, is the other top veteran returning this season, but he wasn’t efficient last season. Despite ranking fourth among receivers in routes run last season, Tucker finished outside the top 50 in catches, yards and TDs. Las Vegas does have some hope for improvement with rookies Jack Bech (second round), Dont’e Thornton Jr. (fourth) and Tommy Mellott (sixth).”
Do Raiders Need to Add WR Help?
The Raiders shouldn’t be overly concerned about the passing game because they have Brock Bowers. While he’s technically a tight end, he’s going to see more targets than any other player on the team. The Raiders also have former second-round pick Michael Mayer, who should be involved in the passing game.
Before the season, Las Vegas still might want to consider adding a veteran wide receiver. Amari Cooper is the biggest name who is still available, but it remains to be seen if he’d want to reunite with the team that drafted him. There aren’t many other prominent names who are still free agents.
Gabe Davis could be an interesting option, as well, but the Raiders seem content with seeing what their young players can do.
Meyers Continues to Impress
Meyers is the only high-volume wide receiver in the NFL last season who didn’t drop a single pass. He also broke 1,000 receiving yards last season despite the Raiders’ poor quarterback play.
Meyers has been impressing head coach Pete Carroll this offseason.
“Jakobi’s done a fantastic job,” Carroll said recently. “Everyday we’re coming out here, he’s making plays.”
Meyers is going to be a free agent after the season, so a big year would lead to a big payday. He may have come into the NFL as an undrafted free agent, but he’s proven every year that he’s an impact player. If he can be a true No. 1 wide receiver for the Raiders this season and break 1,000 yards again, he might be looking at a contract that pays him over $20 million a year.
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