Make no mistake about it; the Oakland Raiders have a wide receiver problem. Their No. 1 receiver in Antonio Brown quit on the team just days before the season started, and now Tyrell Williams looks like he will miss his second-straight game with a foot injury.
However, the Raiders are hoping that newly-acquired receiver Zay Jones can help sooner rather than later. Oakland traded a Day 3 pick in 2021 for the rights to acquire Jones, who was one of Mike Mayock’s highest-graded receivers in the 2017 draft.
Jones was selected in the second round by the Buffalo Bills but struggled to find a consistent role with the team. But now that he is with the Raiders, he is already making a positive impression on his coaching staff. Take a look at what offensive coordinator Greg Olsen had to say about his new weapon from East Carolina:
“Very intelligent football player and that jumped out at us right away and then we got a chance to see him on the practice field running full speed. He’s got tremendous speed and quickness. It’s early right now, but we like what we see.”
Jones appears to be a much better fit in Oakland’s West Coast offense as he can use his size and speed to make plays in the short to intermediate part of the field. With Williams likely out in Week 7, Jones should see several snaps against the Packers despite limited practice reps with the team. Sunday should give us an extensive look at the Raiders’ new receiver.
