It is nearly unanimous that the Raiders figure to take a wide receiver at the top of the draft. But with their current roster of receivers, one may not be enough.
At the scouting combine in late February, Mayock seemed to hint that there could be some wide receiver talent that could go in the first couple rounds in most drafts who will still be on the board in the third round.
“The average over the last five years for wide receivers that go in the first three rounds of the draft is about 12. It’s between 12 and 13 a year,” said Mayock. “You can easily make an argument from a grade perspective that there are 20 to 25 of those guys out there this year. Now, that’s just from a grade perspective. I’m not saying 20 to 25 are going. So, there’s depth throughout and there’s quality up top. So, I think from a wideout [perspective] that’s what you’re looking for in any class and on paper today in February that’s what we see.”
As it happens, the Raiders have three picks in the third round (80, 81, 91) as well as a pick in the fourth round (121) and the fifth round (159).
That’s a lot of chances to get a talented receiver to bulk up the overall wide receiver corps. I zeroed in on three receivers who I like for the Raiders in those middle rounds.
Van Jefferson, Florida
Son of Jets wide receivers coach Shaun Jefferson, Van has all the skills you want in a receiver. He runs perfect, crisp routes and understands how to manipulate his coverage to get open. And he almost never drops a pass. He just hasn’t been in an ideal situation in college to really showcase it.
As a freshman at Ole Miss, he looked every bit the top recruit. Then head coach Hugh Freeze resigned and Jefferson would transfer to Florida. Unfortunately, the Gator offense isn’t big into the passing attack, so Jefferson never put up big numbers there, topping out at 673 yards and 6 touchdowns last season, which, as it happens, still led the team.
He performed well in Senior Bowl practices, which showed he can hang with the better receivers in this class. The 6-2, 197-pounder has the size you like, and the mental makeup you like. And he flashed in his 84 catches over the past two seasons in Gainesville.
Gabriel Davis, Central Florida
Davis’s upward trajectory at Central Florida is just what you’re looking for. He improved his numbers across the board each season, including receiving yards, yards per catch, and touchdowns. His junior season, he led the team with 1241 yards, 17.2 yards per catch average, and had 12 touchdowns and was named first-team All-ACC.
The 6-2, 216-pounder has good athleticism for his size. He ran a respectable 4.54 40 and though he isn’t quick, he often seems to get open and run away from defenders just the same. Sometimes you have to trust football speed.
Basically, he has a lot of tools in his box and the potential to continue to improve in any area. He has a wide catch radius and shows great body control. He didn’t have a big route tree at UCF, but with his steady improvement, he has shown he is coachable in that area. That’s what you want to see from a late-round prospect. You want to believe his best football is ahead of him and Davis has shown enough that could be the case.
John Hightower, Boise State
Hightower has an interesting past. He was a competitive dirt bike rider as a kid before excelling in track in high school where he holds the Maryland state record in the high jump (6’8″).
After playing quarterback, receiver, cornerback, safety, and kick returner in high school, he headed for junior college… and didn’t make the team. A year later, he did make the team and after two years, he transferred to Boise State. By his senior season, he had the head coach doing everything he could to get the ball in his hands. Whether it was as a receiver, a rusher, or a return specialist. He’s just a tremendous athlete.
Not surprisingly, he ran a 4.43 40 at the combine which is great for anyone, let alone a 6-1, 189-pounder. His 1.49 10-yard split was especially impressive. Yes, 189 pretty light for his size, but that’s what a weight room is for. Though at 23 years of age, it’s hard to say how much mass he will pack on at this point, you take that chance on an athlete like him.
