The Raiders are clearly making an emphasis to add wide receivers this off-season, their 2025 second rounder Jack Bech struggled in 2025, but he showed some potential to flash going forward as a solidified big slot, Z receiver. 4th rounder Dont’e Thornton struggled as well ranking inside the bottom 10 for separation, contested catch ability, and EPA/target before finally ending up as a rotational player losing his spot to Tyler Lockett. The Raiders signed Jalen Nailor, who’s coming off 800 yards in the last
two seasons, and receiver Tre Tucker is also coming off 600 yards and a top 25 finish in separation. The Raiders need to consistently find more reliable targets, including a downfield X receiver to pair with Fernando Mendoza. It’s pretty clear Las Vegas will address their room inside the first few rounds, with their track records of visits, including numerous of these below.
X Receivers
I broke down the Las Vegas Raiders potential X receivers that Las Vegas can potentially look to pursue for the 2026 NFL Draft, and you can read that here. A brief lists of the names:
Previously Touched On:
Denzel Boston, Washington (Consensus: Late 1st to Early 2nd)
HT: 6’4 | WT: 209 | Career: 132 rec, 1781 yards, 20 touchdowns, 3.6% drop rate, 61.1% contested catch rate (22/36), 5.0 YAC/reception
Chris Brazzell, Tennessee (Consensus: Mid to Late 3rd)
HT: 6’5 | WT: 200 | Career: 135 rec, 2061 yards, 16 touchdowns, 8.2% drop rate, 40.8% contested catch rate (20/49), 3.4 YAC/reception
Bryce Lance, North Dakota State (Consensus: Round 3)
HT: 6’3 | WT: 209 | Career: 127 rec, 2155 yards, 25 touchdowns, 3.8% drop rate, 61.5% contested catch rate (24/39), 5.1 YAC/reception
Elijah Sarratt, Indiana (Consensus: Round 3)
HT: 6’2 | WT: 213 | Career: 239 rec, 3652 yards, 44 touchdowns, 3.6% drop rate, 57.4% contested catch rate (54/94), 5.1 YAC/reception
Ted Hurst, Georgia State (Consensus: Round 3)
HT: 6’3 | WT: 195 | Career: 130 rec, 1999 yards, 15 touchdowns, 9.7% drop rate, 61.1% contested catch rate (33/54), 4.6 YAC/reception
Malachi Fields, Notre Dame (Consensus: Mid 4th)
HT: 6’4 | WT: 222 | Career: 165 rec, 1486 yards, 16 touchdowns, 5.7% drop rate, 47.3% contested catch rate (35/74), 4.7 YAC/reception
Ja’Kobi Lane, USC (Consensus: Mid to Late 4th)
HT: 6’4 | WT: 200 | Career: 99 rec, 1368 yards, 18 touchdowns, 7.5% drop rate, 49% contested catch rate
Z Receivers
Early Round Targets:
- Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
Germie Bernard, Alabama (Consensus: Mid to Late 2nd)
HT: 6’1 | WT: 208 | Games: 53
Career: 155 rec, 2203 yards, 13 TD, 36 rushes, 184 yards, 5 TD, 2.5% drop rate, 38.7% contested catch rate (12/31), 6.4 YAC/reception
Testing: 4.48 40 (1.52 10-split), 4.31 shuttle, 6.71 3-Cone, 10’05 Broad, 32.5 vert | 9.03 RAS
- Bernard has made himself well acquainted around college football spending time at Michigan State, Washington, and Alabama. He’s a very fluid route runner, shows good non physical nuances, and he also does an exceptional job exploding out of the cut. His route tree is rather diverse, and he works best within 8-15 yards, where he’s able to win off his size and relative athletic ability. He has strong hands, is able to go out of his frame consistently, and Bernard does a good job working across the board at both Z and slot, with a little bit at X. Bernard does well after the catch, utilizing his explosiveness, and toughness. Bernard won’t be a true burner, he’s best coming back to the ball. However, he struggles in contested catch situations, doesn’t have a ton of downfield explosiveness, and he’s very average with twitch after the catch. Bernard needs to do better in contested catch situations, which truly limits his ability to play an X role. Las Vegas met with Bernard, he’s a true Z receiver, and very reminiscing of Jakobi Meyers.
Chris Bell, Louisville (Consensus: Early to Mid 2nd)
HT: 6’2 | WT: 218 | Games: 47
Career: 151 rec, 2166 yards, 12 TD, 7.9% drop rate, 56% contested catch rate (33/59), 5.8 YAC/reception
Testing: DNP – Torn ACL Recovery
- Bell has an exceptional frame, large soft hands, and he has an extreme ability to go out of his frame. Bell is a physical receiver, extremely athletic, and does exceptionally after the catch with true game breaking YAC skills. He has true NFL long speed, can be a burner downfield, and his route tree is incredible diverse where Louisville deployed him across at Z, slot, and a little at X consistently running posts, ins, outs, and anything to get the ball in his hands. He drops his hips well, drives back on the ball, and then turns to a receiver on comebacker routes. He’s a very explosive runner, has an elite release package, shows good first step quickness, and out of cuts is also explosive to create separation with his route running. Bell does well in contested catch situations, he’s able to go out of his frame, will extend and does great staying through his body. He has the injury concern, and I’d like to see Bell not have as many focus drops as he currently has, while also working better to get his head back on the quarterback on out breaking concepts. Las Vegas met with Bell, and he’s truly an explosive downfield receiver that can elevate an entire offense.
Skyler Bell, Uconn (Consensus: Early to Mid 3rd)
HT: 6’0 | WT: 192 | Games: 52
Career: 220 rec, 2893 yards, 24 TD, 15 rushes, 162 yards, 9.8% drop rate, 50% contested catch rate (27/54), 6.4 YAC/reception
Testing: 4.40 40 (1.51 10-Split), 41 Vert, 11’01 Broad | 9.65 RAS
- Bell is explosive, he worked from Wisconsin to UConn and excelled into an All-American at UConn with 103 receptions, 1285 yards, and 13 touchdowns in his final season. He shows excellent fluid hips, phenomenal route running premise, and creates separation through his routes and athleticism. Bell cuts hard and quick, is able to explode through his step, and he simply glides across the field. He works well back to the ball, has fluid hips, shows great release ability, and his long speed is legit. He’s a true YAC threat, converting to a runner well, and being a tough tackle due to his strength and twitch. Bell is a surprisingly good contested catch receiver, but I’d like to see him go outside of his frame more often, while also not letting the ball come into his frame as often. He’s on the smaller side, so he’ll likely slot into a diverse Z/slot role, and Bell also needs to add strength to be more consistent at the point of attack. He struggles vs press coverage, largely off his lack of strength, and he’ll also need to get better at not signaling he’s about to come back on the ball which leaves routes open for DB’s to jump the route. Bell is a fun prototypical YAC focused wide receiver, and Las Vegas has shown interest.
Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State (Consensus: Mid 3rd)
HT: 5’8 | WT: 168 | Games: 40
Career: 84 rec, 1557 yards, 10 TD, 8.7% drop rate, 35.3% contested catch rate (6/17), 4.9 YAC/reception
Testing: 4.26 40 (1.54 10-Split)
- Thompson is electric, he’s quick, nimble, and pretty explosive in all facets of the game. Despite his size, he’ll be a Z receiver, though he can rotate into the slot but creative offenses will look to get him in motion and let the ball get into his hands. Thompson has true downfield speed, he has natural hip flexibility, and he does a great job working back to the ball after sinking his hips. He’s a true downfield receiver, though he struggles working near the LOS and does best on concepts 12+ yards downfield when he can get to speed and use his acceleration/deceleration abilities. He has natural hands, did a relatively decent job going out of his frame on certain catches, and he also showed a little physicality at the point of attack but it’s inconsistent and not something to rely on. Thompson lost weight to run faster, but he’ll need to pack on mass to play a full workload at the NFL level, ideally between 175 and 178, which will also help him vs press. He’s good after the catch, but largely went down on first contact, though his intermediate ball in his hands skills are very underwhelming. His hands are inconsistent, and he also doesn’t show a ton of quality route running premise with him consistently rounding routes.
Josh Cameron, Baylor (Consensus: Late 4th)
HT: 6’1 | WT: 220 | Games: 53
Career: 170 rec, 2236 yards, 19 TD, 4% drop rate, 46.4% contested catch rate (26/56), 5.1 YAC/reception | 45 PR, 632 yards
Testing: DNP
- Cameron has great size, and he’s extremely fluid as well, showing great hip drop ability, explosiveness in the open field, and his explosion out of breaks is also noticeable. Cameron is physical on contested catches, and it’ll be a large staple of his career, especially on comeback and back shoulder concepts. Cameron needs to become more consistent as a route runner, too often rounding his concept, or lacking the explosiveness out of the break. Cameron worked well after the catch, with fluid movements, twitch, and good power to prevent tackles. He’s physical on the boundary, and can also play a big slot role, while being a punt return threat, and true run blocker on the outside also. He’ll need to improve vs press coverage, and overall strength at the POA where bigger cornerbacks will push him around or box him out despite his size. He’s not a downfield burner, and his acceleration takes time to get up to speed unlike other receivers, which also shows in his release. Cameron is a prototypical Z, and in a proper offense he should develop into a quality 450-600 yard receiver who’s a redzone threat.
Slot Receivers
Early Round Targets:
- Omar Cooper Jr, Indiana -> very rare chance he’s there at 36 or before and Las Vegas can/would move up. Electric YAC, explosive first step, and truly fluid mover. Has potential to be a truly dominant wide receiver
KC Concepcion, Texas A&M (Consensus: Late 1st to Early 2nd)
HT: 5’11 | WT: 196 | Games: 38
Career: 185 rec, 2218 yards, 25 TD, 70 rushes, 431 yards, 3 TD, 9.3% drop rate, 48.6% contested catch rate (17/35), 6.6 YAC/reception | 30 PR, 501 yards, 2 TD
Testing: DNP -> Knee Tissue Cleanup
- The Raiders love Concepcion, and with good reason, he’s a true playmaker. Concepcion started his career at NC State hauling in 73 receptions, 849 yards, 10 TD his freshman season then 500 yards and 6 TD in 2024. Concepcion has natural twist, burst, and explosiveness that’s his staple. He accelerates quickly, and shows great deceleration as well, with a natural ability to explode out of his release, cuts, and he works his hips well back to the ball. Concepcion is a threat after the catch utilizing the same factors, he’s instinctive, and does a good job working on contested catch situations where he’ll go outside of his frame, box out defenders, and also find a way to high point the catch. Concepcion needs to improve as a run blocker, and add more strength, but he does good working against press coverage, and he shows flashes of being able to run downfield on post, go, and corner routes off pure speed. I’d like to see Concepcion do better adjusting to the ball in air, and he wasn’t overly targeted on deep concepts which leaves his ball tracking ability in question. Additionally, Concepcion is a weak blocker, and doesn’t have the true effort and mentality towards it, though he looked better on the boundary instead of in the slot. Concepcion is going to be an explosive, highly refined, electric receiver and he does well with the ball in his hands, and he’ll be very effective as a punt returner as well.
Zachariah Branch, Georgia (Consensus: Early 3rd)
HT: 5’9 | WT: 180 | Games: 37
Career: 159 rec, 1634 yards, 9 TD, 15 rushes, 101 yards, TD, 4.8% drop rate, 38% contested catch rate (8/21), 8.2 YAC/reception | 44 PR, 586 yards, TD, 39 KR, 752 yards, TD
Testing: 4.35 40 (1.50 10-Split), 38 Vert, 10’05 Broad | 9.12 RAS
- Branch is semi similar to Concepcion, but he lacks the physical size of Concepcion. The Las Vegas native, and nephew of Cliff Branch, is well pretty much all over the Raiders radar. Georgia utilized him HEAVILY on screens, slants, and drag concepts allowing them to get the ball into his hands where he’s a true electric YAC threat with his speed, explosiveness, and natural twitch, and Georgia also had receivers to take the true Z and X roles or mid range targets. Comparatively, below is his 2024 route chart from USC, and he’s a diverse route runner with true explosive route running abilities. He has electric long speed, natural hip flexibility, and he does well sinking his hips to come back on the ball. Branch is physical, and there’s a wide variety of catches he excels on that you wouldn’t expect him too, not that he’ll be a true contested catch target in the NFL. He has strong hands, is able to consistently go out of his frame, and attacks the ball without letting himself suffer focus drops either. Branch excels on special teams, his route running is full of twitch, but he’ll need to improve the diversity at a consistent level despite the 2024 to 2025 comparison. Branch doesn’t decelerate at the rate you’d expect him too, and he can round concepts too often. Additionally, he’ll struggle at times against press, and he’s sometimes taken down in space more often than he should be. The Raiders love Branch, he’s explosive, and he should be a strong target in round 3 for the Raiders to add to their receiver room and provide a focal point that can generate touches.
Antonio Williams, Clemson (Consensus: Late 2nd to Early 3rd)
HT: 5’11 | WT: 187 | Games: 43
Career: 208 rec, 2336 yards, 21 TD, 25 rushes, 187 yards, 2 TD, 5% drop rate, 49% contested catch rate (25/51), 5.3 YAC/reception | 39 PR, 351 yards
Testing: 4.41 40 (1.55 10-Split), 39.5 Vert, 10’04 Broad, 4.10 Shuttle, 7 3-Cone | 8.58 RAS
- Williams’ run blocking stands out immediately, he’s physical, violent, and aggressive as a blocker with true versatility in the slot and boundary. Williams has natural hands, he goes out of his frame, and he doesn’t let the ball come to him, though he’ll need to improve his focus drops where he looks to run before hauling the pass in. Williams is fluid, he sinks his hips well, is an explosive downfield playmaker, and his speed shows. Additionally, Williams has an ability to come back on the ball, work through physical defensive backs, and he is aggressive at the point of attack showing an ability to high point the ball or adjust in air. Williams long speed is inconsistent, and he takes a bit to get to speed when running dead straight, and Williams can round his routes at times especially on out breaking concepts. He’s an inconsistent YAC threat, but he does showcase true downfield ability running with twitch. Williams does well in a lot of facets, can be an effective slot receiver, and should make an NFL impact immediately.
Deion Burks, Oklahoma (Consensus: Early 4th)
HT: 5’9 | WT: 190 | Games: 48
Career: 151 rec, 1669 yards, 14 TD, 9% drop rate, 36.8% contested catch rate (21/57), 4.7 YAC/reception
Testing: 4.30 40 (1.49 10-Split), 42.5 Vert, 10’11 Broad, 4.22 Shuttle, 7.21 3-Cone | 9.11 RAS
- Burks wins frequently off his speed, and that’s a large part of his game. The 23 year old, will turn 24 soon, but Burks wins with twitch and explosiveness. He has good burst, shows an ability to decelerate, and he separates well with good explosion out of the cut. Burks is strong, he does show strength throughout his reps, and isn’t phased by press coverage. Additionally, Burks does a good job winning some contested catch situations, and improved as each season went on. I’d like to see Burks attack the ball with his hands, instead of letting it come into his frame, and he also needs to do better not looking to run before the catch is completed causing consistent focus drops. Burks isn’t a true burner after the catch, but he’s able to make defenders miss, has twitch, and his explosiveness does create issues for teams. Burks struggles to re stack routes, and when he’s thrown off mid route it’s tough for him to revamp his ability to win the concept. He’s a limited blocker, isn’t very effective in short yardage situations, and his release can be very underwhelming. Burks needs to do better in a few key phases, he is an adequate receiver with upside, but there’s a lot of phases lacking in his game that can cause issues in the NFL.
Cyrus Allen, Cincinnati (Consensus: Late 4th to Early 5th)
HT: 5’11 | WT: 183 | Games: 44
Career: 137 rec, 2221 yards, 22 TD, 7.5% drop rate, 55.3% contested catch rate (21/38), 5.5 YAC/reception
Testing: 4.49 40 (1.56 10-Split), 36 Vert, 11 Broad, 4.17 Shuttle, 6.90 3-Cone | 8.69 RAS
- Allen doesn’t get enough discussion, he’s among the better slot receivers in the class, and he flies under the radar at times. Allen shows an ability to play the slot or boundary, though he’ll likely work in the slot at the NFL level. He has a strong release package, accelerates quickly, and he’s a nuanced route runner with a diverse route tree as well. Additionally, Allen explodes after the catch, with a natural refined twitch and initial burst. He shows natural strong hands, and in contested catch situations he’s exceptional for his size. Allen has great strength at the POA, is strong throughout the concept, but he does have some inconsistency restacking the route and he gets pushed to the sideline by physical DB’s. Allen struggles to track the deep ball, though Cincinnati rarely used him in that role either, and he’s not super physical after the catch with average ability to fight through contact. Allen shows a high floor receiver, though he’ll need to work on finding consistency throughout his game, and if he does he can develop into a quality slot receiver.
