Wide receiver is a position the Las Vegas Raiders could’ve easily addressed in the draft. The team cut Hunter Renfrow and hasn’t re-signed DeAndre Carter.
The team decided against drafting one but was able to add one in free agency. The Raiders are signing former Mississippi State wide receiver Lideatrick Griffin, per an April 27 X post from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Griffin is actually a very intriguing prospect for the Raiders to pick up. He wasn’t overly productive in college. He only had 1,490 combined receiving yards and nine touchdowns across four seasons in college. However, he proved to be very athletic during the pre-draft process.
Griffin ran for a 4.43 40-yard dash and the NFL Scouting Combine and had one of the best athleticism scores of all the eligible wide receivers. He’s going to be a project but he has the athletic traits to be a deep threat for the Raiders. He’ll be a player to watch in training camp.
Lideatrick Griffin’s Draft Profile
There will be an opportunity for Griffin to make the Raiders roster considering they need more depth at the position. In his draft profile on the wide receiver, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had a sixth-round grade on Griffin.
“The draft grade is lower than the flashes on tape, but projecting the ceiling seems a little too risky with his evaluation,” Zierlein wrote in Griffin’s draft profile. “Griffin is on the thinner side, but he’s a willing run finisher after the catch and as a kick returner. He’s a gifted athlete with explosive acceleration and the tools to become a challenging man cover option. Griffin doesn’t play with nearly enough focus and will cruise through routes rather than finishing them with tempo. While the tools are there for him to become a more well-rounded receiver, Griffin might not develop into much more than a specialty receiver with kick-return value.”
It’s clear that Griffin has some intriguing potential but he’s going to have to put in some work. He’s going to get to learn from Davante Adams, who is one of the best in the business.
Las Vegas Raiders See Brock Bowers as More Than TE
One reason the Raiders may have skipped over drafting a wide receiver is because first-round pick Brock Bowers is a versatile weapon. He’s listed as a tight end but it sounds like Las Vegas has a lot of plans for him based on what general manager Tom Telesco is saying.
“But you get a chance to add just another dimension to the offensive, whether it’s a tight end, hybrid receiver, whatever it is, you need more playmakers on that side of the ball,” Telesco said during his April 25 media availability. “So, I think he’s really going to help us there and I feel like he’s a high-level player in college; a true junior, he’s 21 years old, so he’s very young still, still developing. But he has some natural football skills, combined with some high-level athletic ability and speed, so yeah, I’m really happy to have him.”
Bowers has the ability to play as a slot receiver but can also win deep. Considering the Raiders already have Michael Mayer, it’s possible that they’ll use Bowers in more creative ways while Mayer does most of the traditional tight end duties.
