Yes, it’s true that the Raiders had a huge need at wide receiver entering the 2022 offseason. Henry Ruggs was released mid-season after a DUI with murder and Zay Jones got paid in free agency. That is why the Raiders had to make the trade for Davante Adams.
However, the Raiders did already have a Pro Bowl receiver on their roster and that was none other than Hunter Renfrow. He had a career year in 2021, catching over 100 passes for over 1,000 yards. But where does he rank among the best receivers in the NFL?
In a recent article by Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus, he ranked the top 32 receivers in the NFL heading into the 2022 season. Not surprisingly, Renfrow made the list, coming in at No. 27. Here is what Treash and the site had to say about the Pro Bowl receiver:
“Renfrow is among the league’s best slot receivers. He turned in the seventh-best slot receiving grade in 2021 and brought in 96.5% of his catchable targets when on the inside.
Renfrow also doesn’t get the recognition he deserves as a route runner. The 5–foot–10, 184-pound receiver’s separation rate last season stood at the 95th percentile among qualifying NFL receivers.”
With Adams and Darren Waller likely getting most of the attention from defenses this season, it’s Renfrow who could stand to benefit the most. It’s unlikely he sees as many targets as he did last year, but it wouldn’t be a shock if he was far more efficient and still played a big role on third down.
Renfrow has proven that he is one of the best slot receivers in the NFL and his production has improved in each of the last three years. So what does he have in store for Year 4? We will have to wait to find out.
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