As we prepare to dive into the 2022 offseason, there are a couple of obvious needs on the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster. One of those, and possibly the most important, is the need for a number one receiver. There are several attractive names in free agency, but if Las Vegas isn’t able to land any of them, it would make sense to look at some prospects come April. Here are three receivers who could make a difference for the Silver and Black in 2022.
Let’s see which three prospects would help the Raiders…
Jameson Williams, Alabama
If the Raiders want to replicate the talent they got from Henry Ruggs III, Jameson Williams is the best they’ll find.
Williams excels as a downfield threat. After Ruggs was sidelined, the Raiders badly missed their ability to have a downfield threat. It was much harder for them to stretch the field, and it limited the offense in a lot of ways. Williams would solve that problem immediately, as he led the nation last year in 50+ yard plays, like the one below.
This might be the coolest play of the 2021 season. Jameson Williams 75 yard house call on a deep hook
What’s cool is John Metchie sees him make the catch & then signals to him to get up the sideline. Then Metchie blocks his a$$ off & Jameson turns it onpic.twitter.com/SLiI7woQ00
— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) February 6, 2022
Unfortunately, Williams suffered a torn ACL in the national championship game. Ironically, that moment ended up showing his ultimate value to Alabama’s offense. The Crimson Tide completely flatlined after Williams went down, which showed just how much he meant to them. If the Raiders feel comfortable with Williams’ recovery, he’d be a nice addition in the first round.
Chris Olave, Ohio State
However, if Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels are worried about William’s ACL and want a safer option, Chris Olave should be their man.
Olave is considered a safe prospect because there isn’t a single thing that he struggles with. He’s at least above average at every skill, but he’s also not elite at any skill. Olave is a well-rounded player, and it’s almost a guarantee that he’ll perform well at the NFL level.
Chris Olave does a great job of attacking leverage to give himself a 2-way go, then exploding out of the cut to create separation
At the catch point, he slows down to adjust to the throw & shows hands late so the CB can’t rip the ball out
pic.twitter.com/LGXglPfB9G— Matt Holder (@MHolder95) February 9, 2022
The clip above showcases Olave’s terrific route-running skills. Olave is a great prospect, but the fact that he’s not elite in any specific skill may be enough to push the Raiders away. Still, that shouldn’t take anything away from his amazing skillset in general. Chris is good at everything, and he might be the most well-rounded and NFL-ready player in the draft at any position. That versatile skillset makes him valuable in any offensive design, so he would be an automatic Week 1 starter. Olave would be a great pick and a great fit in Las Vegas.
David Bell, Purdue
For the most part, Bell isn’t looked at as a first-round prospect, but if the Raiders are looking to pick up a receiver in the second round, Bell should be the first one they look at.
Bell is a big, smart receiver with great hands. Standing at six-foot-five and 205 pounds, Bell is taller and bigger than most cornerbacks. This size makes it hard to jam him in press coverage, and it also helps him win contested catches. His size, combined with his good hands and his ability to catch any pass in the same zip code, makes him nearly unstoppable on 50/50 balls. David is smart as well, and he’s often able to find holes in zone coverage.
David Bell doing what he does #Acrobat 🎪 pic.twitter.com/YXegg8DPVu
— IndyWeOutHere â€¼ï¸ (@IndyWeOutHere) November 30, 2019
Although Bell is agile enough to be a threat after the catch, he’s not a great route runner, which could make it hard for him to get open against professional defenders. He also has a problem with pushing off defenders while the ball is in the air, which is penalized much more often at the NFL level.
Both of those are things that can be corrected, though. Bell is a great receiver, and he would be a key red zone target for Derek Carr. Having a receiver with Bell’s skillset would help diversify the types of receiving threats on the Raiders roster, and he could go a long way to help solve their red zone woes from last year. If he’s available in the second round and the Raiders still need a receiver, this is a no-brainer.
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*Top Photo: AP Photo/Jay LaPrete