The Las Vegas Raiders‘ wide receiver is going to have a lot of competition this offseason. The team doesn’t have a bunch of highly drafted or expensive players at the position, so anybody could make a name for themself.
The group is also very young. Outside of 33-year-old Phillip Dorsett, every wide receiver on the roster is 27 or younger. Also, the chances of Dorsett making the active roster are slim. The former first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts was on the Raiders last season, but didn’t play a single snap.
They decided to bring him back, but it’s unlikely he’ll be on the roster come Week 1. Sam Warren of The Athletic predicted Dorsett to be among the roster cuts this offseason.
“The Raiders didn’t make any significant additions at receiver beyond Nailor; they want to see what this group can do with more opportunities,” Warren wrote. “With no proven WR1, Tucker, Nailor, Bech and Thornton will have ample chances.
“Young was a core special teamer in Seattle who followed Kubiak to Las Vegas this offseason and should continue to provide that kind of value to the Raiders. Benson, a sixth-round rookie, impressed on offense during offseason practices and got reps as a returner, which should allow him to beat out veterans such as Jackson and Dorsett for one of the final spots.”
Shederick Jackson Also on the Bubble
Shederick Jackson has shown some flashes for the Raiders in the past. He’s the nephew of team legend Bo Jackson, so everybody is rooting for him to succeed.
Despite a strong showing in OTAs, he still faces an uphill battle to make the roster. Warren also had him among the predicted cuts, but he’ll be a strong candidate to get on the practice squad.
Dont’e Thornton Put on Notice
One player the Raiders would really like to see more from is 2025 third-round pick Dont’e Thornton Jr. He has all the physical tools to be an elite player, but he hasn’t shown he can consistently make plays.
Former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy thinks that Thornton is going to have a hard time carving out a role if he doesn’t step up.
“When you talk about Jalen Nailor, you went out and got speed, Naylor. Dont’e Thornton Jr. was notorious for his speed at Tennessee, breaking those wide open go routes … and really all they kind of did last year, when I look at it, when he was available, is try to go for go routes or arrow routes … so I kind of think you have two players doing the same thing,” Kennedy said on the “Locked on Raiders Squad Show” podcast.
“With that in mind and the fact that the Raiders went out and got Nailor and went out and targeted Naylor, that tells me there might be the writing on the wall for Dont’e Thornton. You’ve got to pick it up. You’ve got to show your value. You’ve got to show your worth. And I don’t suppose after this year, they’re going to keep Nailor, Thornton and Tre Tucker. They’re kind of three of the same receivers in many ways.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Raiders Predicted to Cut Ties With Former First-Round Pick appeared first on HEAVY.