Heading into the 2019 NFL draft, it was no secret that Oakland was searching for a new slot receiver. Seth Roberts was gone, and they had nobody on the roster to fill that role. Luckily, Jon Gruden and his coaching staff had the opportunity to coach at the Senior Bowl, where they got to see the best slot receiver in all of the nation up close; Clemson’s Hunter Renfrow.
Despite a somewhat slow start, Renfrow has caught fire over the last month, catching 19 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns in his previous four games. While Renfrow will likely never be a true No. 1 receiver, he’s already becoming one of Derek Carr’s favorite targets.
In a recent piece by Pro Football Focus, the site named the top-10 graded rookies so far from the 2019 class. Not surprisingly, Josh Jacobs continues to sit in the No. 1 spot. But it’s Renfrow who has suddenly made an appearance inside of the top-10 at No. 8. Take a look at what Pro Football Focus has to say about the rookie receiver:
The longtime Clemson Tiger and now Oakland Raider Hunter Renfrow has been heating up over the last few weeks, ranking second in PFF grade for a wide receiver since Week 9. Playing in Gruden’s west coast offense that lives and dies by horizontal passing, Renfrow is a critical component and has really helped the offense as a whole. On slant and crossing routes specifically, Renfrow is tied for seventh in PFF receiving grade.
If Oakland can find a true No. 1 receiver this offseason, that should open up things in the middle even more for Renfrow going forward. He clearly knows his role and is a perfect fit in Gruden’s West Coast offense. Look for the rookie to continue to be targeted frequently in the team’s final six games.
