Four players battling to be the third receiver for Raiders

After signing superstar Davante Adams this offseason, the Raiders have one of the best pass-catching groups in the NFL. That’s the consensus, anyway, with Adams, the longtime Green Bay Packer, coming to Las Vegas and joining a pair of other Pro Bowlers in slot receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller as quarterback Derek Carr’s primary options.

There’s only one element missing and holding the Raiders back from fielding a truly elite receiving corps—depth. Three reliable pass catchers, only two of whom are technically receivers, isn’t enough in the pass-heavy NFL, especially not in a more modern offense like the one new coach Josh McDaniels is installing.

Underrated tight end Foster Moreau returns alongside Waller, but McDaniels and new general manager Dave Ziegler overhauled the receiver room. Renfrow is the only receiver on the roster who caught a pass for the Raiders last season.

McDaniels is expected to split Waller out as a receiver frequently, but even with that wrinkle, the Raiders will need more than the trio of him, Adams and Renfrow. Finding the right complements and how they fit is a focus of training camp, which kicked off in full July 20 at the team’s headquarters in Henderson and runs through final roster cut day on August 30.

The Raiders will surely develop a rotation of receivers as the regular-season opener September 11 at the Los Angeles Chargers nears, but most teams also prefer to have a defined No. 3 guy. Las Vegas has eight receivers on the roster beyond Adams and Renfrow, but four of them are unlikely to make the team—three undrafted second-year players in Dillon Stoner, DJ Turner and Jordan Veasy, and one undrafted rookie in Justin Hill.

That leaves four others vying for the wide-open No. 3 receiver spot. Here’s a look at each of them.

Mack Hollins

The 28-year-old former Miami Dolphin and Philadelphia Eagle must be considered the favorite to be the No. 3 receiver, even though he’s not the biggest name.

Hollins signed the largest deal out of everyone listed here—a one-year, $2 million contract—and got the most action with the starters during minicamp in June. The 6-foot-4, 221-pound former fourth-round pick out of North Carolina was the Dolphins’ special teams captain last year, and that’s where he’s done most of his work in the NFL.

One of his best offensive moments came against the Raiders when he helped eliminate them from the playoffs in 2020. He caught a 34-yard-pass with 19 seconds remaining to set up a game-winning field goal for the Dolphins in a late-season game at Allegiant Stadium.

The Raiders would be counting on Hollins making more plays like that, as a downfield threat would be the best type of receiver to put next to grade-A route runners Adams and Renfrow.

Demarcus Robinson

The 27-year-old Robinson is probably the most well-known newcomer given that he’s spent the past six years as a part of the Kansas City Chiefs’ high-flying offense.

The potential of the 6-foot-1, 202-pound veteran has tantalized NFL coaches ever since he was a college standout at the University of Florida. The problem has come with tapping into that potential.

Robinson was considered an annual breakout candidate with the Chiefs, but despite some highlight moments, never became a go-to guy for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Robinson appeared to fully fall out of favor by the end of last season, going without a single catch in the Chiefs’ final two games.

Kansas City didn’t show much interest in keeping him, leading to a one-year, $1.1 million deal in Las Vegas. Sometimes a change of scenery can ignite something new, and the Raiders are hoping that’s the case with the highly athletic Robinson.

Keelan Cole

With 187 catches for 2,691 yards and 13 touchdowns over a five-year NFL career, the 29-year-old Cole has the most production of those competing for playing time.

He’s just considered more of a solid contributor via route-running and blocking than a game-breaking, big-play threat. Cole is also slightly undersized at 6-foot-1, 193 pounds, though he’s used to fighting through such limitations.

He was neither recruited out of high school nor drafted out of Division II Kentucky Wesleyan in college but developed a reputation for outworking his peers. Cole had a career year in 2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the New York Jets last season.

He took a step back with the Jets, never developing a strong connection with rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. That allowed the Raiders to buy low and sign him to a discounted one-year, $1.2 million deal late in this year’s free agency.

Tyron Johnson

The third-year undrafted receiver out of Oklahoma State is a long shot next to Cole, Robinson and Hollins, but one that shouldn’t be totally ignored.

The Raiders signed him to the practice squad late last year, and he was quickly promoted to the active roster, where he appeared in five games as a kick returner. His value as a returner could help the 6-foot-1, 193-pound speedster claim one of the final roster spots out of training camp this year, as could his knack as a deep threat in the passing game.

He had seven catches for 25 yards or more, and four catches for 50 yards or more, during the 2020 season with the Chargers. Johnson is considered limited in other parts of the receiving game but having someone who can stretch the defense down the field is exactly what the Raiders need next to Adams, Renfrow and Waller.

This story originally appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.