The big move the Las Vegas Raiders made at wide receiver this offseason was signing Jalen Nailor in free agency. The former Minnesota Viking had shown flashes with his old team, but was consistently an afterthought due to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison being on the roster.
With the Raiders, Nailor has a chance to be their No. 1 wide receiver. He’ll have to compete with Tre Tucker, but he’ll be seeing more targets than he has in the past. The Raiders have a few breakout candidates for the 2026 season, but The Athletic’s Sam Warren thinks that the biggest one will be Nailor.
“Nailor has surprisingly been the lone premium addition the Raiders have made at receiver this offseason after trading away top target Jakobi Meyers in November,” Warren wrote. “While that may leave many scratching their heads, it gives Nailor an opportunity to produce like never before. The fifth-year veteran had a solid final two seasons in Minnesota, but was always a tertiary option behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He now comes into Las Vegas carrying established chemistry with quarterback Kirk Cousins and head coach Klint Kubiak from their Vikings days and no solidified WR1 ahead of him. All signs point to Nailor having a chance to post career numbers in his first season with the Raiders.”
How Nailor Can Succeed
One thing that will help Nailor early on is if Kirk Cousins starts in Week 1. The two previously played together in Minnesota, so there’s some rapport there. If it’s rookie Fernando Mendoza who starts in Week 1, he could face more competition.
Either way, he has a chance to have a career year. Tight end Brock Bowers is the No. 1 weapon in the offense, but there’s nothing stopping Nailor from being No. 2 in the passing game. His career high is 444 receiving yards in a season. It should be easy for him to outperform that number this season with less competition on the roster.
Raiders Passing Game Has a Lot to Prove
The only sure thing with the Raiders’ passing offense is Bowers. He was just rated the best tight end in the NFL by ESPN. He’s likely going to have a huge year regardless of who is starting at quarterback.
Other than him, there are a lot of question marks. Even backup tight end Michael Mayer hasn’t proven he can consistently make an impact.
At quarterback, the Raiders don’t seem to know who is going to start. Cousins has the edge, but Mendoza is the more exciting option. Cousins hasn’t been a Pro Bowl-level quarterback in years, and Mendoza is a rookie. The Raiders could be decent at quarterback, but it’s hard to imagine they’re better than average.
And then there’s the wide receiver room, which has a lot to prove. There’s potential. Jack Bech is a former second-round pick, Nailor and Tucker are coming off career years and Dont’e Thornton Jr. is an athletic freak. If at least two of those players can prove to have an impact, the Raiders’ passing offense could be in good shape.
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