NFL Draft: Could Justin Jefferson be Raiders’ receiver of choice?

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | 2 a.m.

The Raiders are going to select a wide receiver in this year’s NFL draft. Las Vegas has been a popular landing spot for top receivers in just about every mock draft, and general manager Mike Mayock even conceded that the position could use an upgrade. It’s going to happen.

The question is when? Will the Raiders use one of their first-round picks — either No. 12 or No. 19 — on a receiver? Or will they wait, either by trading down or by using one of their three third-round selections on a pass-catcher?

I’ve already broken down the consensus top three players at the position, and depending how the draft unfolds on Thursday all three could be in play at No. 12. But while Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and CeeDee Lamb are the headliners, they’re not the only first-round options. If Las Vegas decides to use No. 12 on a defensive player or an offensive lineman, there should still be plenty of talented receivers left at No. 19.

LSU’s Justin Jefferson is the best of that bunch. As a junior in 2019 he caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards — obvious first-round production — but most of that came out of the slot. That type of receiver has not historically been valued as a first-round pick by NFL teams, but Jefferson is different.

The Raiders just drafted a good slot receiver last year in Hunter Renfrow, but that shouldn’t preclude them from taking Jefferson as well. At 6-foot-1 and possessing a surprisingly fast 40 time of 4.43 seconds, Jefferson has shown an ability to line up inside or outside and consistently beat defensive backs.

Still, the slot is where he does his damage. Working in LSU’s offense, he feasted on two-way option routes, which are a staple for slot receivers. Jefferson is a master at hesitating at the top of his short routes and then bursting out of the cut to create big separation.

Combined with quarterback Joe Burrow’s uncanny accuracy on short and intermediate routes, Jefferson was able to work those two-way routes over and over again for easy gains. He’s also athletic and fast enough to make extra yardage after the catch:

Jefferson wasn’t just chewing up easy yardage on underneath routes in between the 20’s. He also produced in the red zone, hauling in 18 touchdowns (second in the nation to teammate Ja’Marr Chase).

It’s not easy to get open on the goal line, when the field is compressed and defenses are keyed in, which makes Jefferson’s short-area quickness even more remarkable.

Watch him just absolutely plant this cornerback with a juke then burst inside, giving the quarterback a gigantic window to deliver the touchdown pass:

It’s not just short stuff with Jefferson. He’s not a pure burner outside the numbers, but he can beat press coverage and get vertical down the seam for chunk plays.

He’s just fast enough to get open down the field, making him more complete than a traditional slot receiver like Renfrow or Julian Edelman. Jefferson is more similar to someone like Victor Cruz, who worked out of the slot but brought big-play ability.

And Jefferson’s skill set may actually line up with the Raiders’ long-term plan. If the team is committed to Derek Carr as the quarterback of the present and the future, it might behoove the front office to give him a corps of receivers who excel at winning quickly and getting open for short completions. Instead of trying to make Carr into something he’s not, adding Jefferson would be playing to Carr’s strengths.

Other receivers who might draw interest from the Raiders on Thursday:

Denzel Mims, Receiver, Baylor

If Las Vegas is intent on adding a pure deep threat, Mims could be in that conversation. He doesn’t quite have elite-elite speed like Ruggs, but he ran a 4.38 at the combine and measured in at 6-foot-3 with a vertical of 38.5 inches.

At Baylor last year Mims caught 66 passes for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns, but as good as those numbers are, NFL teams have to like his physical profile even more than his production.

Mims can blow past cornerbacks with his speed and continue pulling away:

And when he gets downfield, Mims has the athleticism to contort his body as well as the length and frame to pluck the ball at its highest point:

Brandon Aiyuk, Receiver, Arizona State

Aiyuk hails from Reno, but he could be a future star in Las Vegas if the Raiders use one of their picks on the 6-foot waterbug.

Aiyuk caught 65 passes for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns last year, and his most impressive trait was his ability to run with the ball. He can cut and redirect as he’s in the process of catching the ball, which allows him to make the first man miss consistently. Then Aiyuk has enough speed — he ran a 4.50 at the combine — to go to the house.

Aiyuk can also be a weapon on special teams, as he averaged 16.1 yards on punt returns and 31.9 yards bringing back kickoffs.

That return-game elusiveness is evident when Aiyuk has the ball in his hands as a receiver. Arizona State liked to get him the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage with blockers in front and let him pick his way through the defense. It often yielded big results:

Between the top tier of Jeudy, Ruggs and Lamb and the second tier of Jefferson, Mims and Aiyuk, the Raiders whould be able to come away with a game-changing talent on Thursday.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.