If you’ve ever stumbled upon a cutup of some of the NFL’s most filthy route-runners, you’re going to notice it’s littered with Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow.
We’re talking about two receivers who seemingly couldn’t be any different in terms of what type of player they are. But who at this point are both well-known as being among the NFL’s best route-runners.
Adams is far more established as a route-runner, and thus landed atop Pro Football Focus’s list of the league’s best route-runners this offseason. Renfrow made the list as well, at number ten.
Keeping in mind the respect Adams commands as a route runner, this is what he had to say about his new teammate Renfrow on Thursday, following the team’s final minicamp practice.
“I’ve been around a lot of people like Hunter [Renfrow], but there’s never been a fourth-year [guy] with the type of football acumen that he has,” said Adams. “His awareness and understanding why he does certain things. Because, there’s people out there with a lot of talent, but they can’t sit there and break it down and tell you why they did what they did with their footwork, or the next rep why they tweaked it a little bit because of a look they had. So, his awareness, his football smarts, he’s definitely ahead of his time, so it’s actually fun.
“Sometimes I’ll be sitting there talking to him in the middle of an offensive meeting and we’ll be talking about releases, and he’ll be talking about what he thought. And I’m like, this is fun. This is fun being someone who’s a lot like me mentally in the way that he approaches the game and the way I attack it. Always trying to find those small nuances, whether it’s something the defense is doing or if it’s something I’m doing. It’s been great. I’ve been learning from him, he’s been learning from me.”
Yes, the eight-year veteran who has been to five straight Pro Bowls and on two-straight All Pro teams is learning something from the fourth-year slot receiver coming off his first Pro Bowl.
Renfrow’s ability to make some of the best slot corners in the league look silly has mystified the league for much of his three-year career. Adams is getting to peer inside and see the type of scientific process Renfrow uses to dissect his technique as well as take advantage of what the defense gives him.
As I said yesterday, it’s time to pay this man and ensure he’s a Raider for the foreseeable future.