If there's one area on offense where the Las Vegas Raiders are looking strong, it's their group of pass-catchers, which has a mix of established veterans and promising young players.
But Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema isn't that high on the group. In his recent rankings of all 32 receiving corps. (including tight ends and running backs) around the NFL, he placed the Raiders at No. 17.
Here's what Sikkema said about Las Vegas' group:
The question with the Raiders and their place on this list is how much Davante Adams can carry this group. Because beyond him, it is rough.
Even Adams struggled to produce at his usual level in 2023, earning an 81.0 receiving grade. The Raiders have drafted tight ends Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers over the past two years, but their potential impact in 2024 is an unknown. Jakobi Meyers was solid for Las Vegas in 2023, but he will have to be even better in 2024 to open things up for Adams.
While it's true Adams had a down season in 2023, that was not his fault by any means. Adams had to deal with shoddy quarterback play from Jimmy G and a rookie (Aidan O'Connell played better down the stretch of the season, but still), and the Raiders made a big change on offense during the season, getting rid of their play-caller and head coach.
Even with that, Adams still managed to grab over 100 balls and tally more than 1,100 yards through the air, showing no signs of decline. Adding to that, Jakobi Meyers also remained productive despite the lackluster situation, with the veteran wideout tallying over 800 yards for a third-straight season. One can only imagine the year both would've had with more competent quarterback play.
Along with those two, the Raiders also have two promising young tight ends in Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, with the former being billed as one of the best offensive players in this year's draft. Las Vegas has solid depth options at wide receiver in Tre Tucker, Michael Gallup and Jalen Guyton, also.
The Raiders should be a few spots higher on Sikkema's list. I'd put their whole receiving group over the Atlanta Falcons (No. 13), Green Bay Packers (No. 14) and Dallas Cowboys (No. 15).
