Raiders 2025: Is there another receiver who can challenge Jakobi Meyers’ status as WR1?

Consistency, reliability makes the veteran the top option in Las Vegas’ position group

Reliable production.

That’s where Jakobi Meyers stands out heading into his third season with the Las Vegas Raiders.

No other wide receiver on the roster can come close to the 28-year-old’s stat sheet. Meyers played in 15 games (started all of them) in 2024 and drew 129 targets hauling in 87 passes for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns. It was the undrafted free agent’s first-ever career 1,000-yard receiving performance in his six-year career.

And that looms large as to why Meyers rolls into this offseason and the 2025 campaign as the Silver & Black’s unquestioned WR1.

By The Numbers:
Jakobi Meyers, Wide Receiver,

• 2024: 15 games (15 starts), 87 receptions, 1,027 yards, 4 touchdowns; 2 carries, 23 yards
• Career (2017-24): 91 games (70 starts), 393 receptions, 4,592 yards, 20 touchdowns; 11 carries, 54 yards, 2 touchdowns

Mr. Production

Meyers has 20 career touchdown catches on his resume — to go along with two rushing scores and three passing TDs — and nary a wide receiver on Las Vegas’ roster comes close.

Tre Tucker — heading into his third season in the league — has six career touchdowns (five receiving, one rushing). Collin Johnson, a veteran flier signing, has two receiving touchdowns in his four seasons in the league. The rest of the wide receiver room has zero touchdown receptions.

Even if you look at the running back and tight end rooms, the career totals fall short of Meyers. Veteran tailback Raheem Mostert has eight career receiving touchdowns in his 10 seasons and superstar tight end Brock Bowers — heading into Year 2 — has five-career end zone visits (all receiving). Fellow tight end Michael Mayer has two total touchdown catches.

But it’s not just touchdowns that make Meyers a reliable target the Raiders quarterbacks of previous years and what new starter Geno Smith can expect heading into 2025.

Depending on which statistical group you prefer or subscribe to, Meyers either didn’t drop a single pass last season or dropped one. Pro Football Focus charted Meyers without a single drop in 2024, while Pro Football Reference tagged the wide receiver with one. Either way, that’s damn impressive for a receiver who was targeted 127 times.

Of Meyers’ 87 receptions, 52 of said catches moved the chains for first downs and while he isn’t the most fleet of foot — like in comparison to Tucker or Dont’e Thornton Jr. (taken by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft — Meyers’ short-area quickness and route running leads to crucial separation and his 6-foot-2 and 200-pound frame and strong hands result in an impressive catch rate.

Like this one below:

“Anything thrown in his direction, he seems to somehow come down (with it),” Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said about Meyers, after the team’s OTA session last week. “He’s got a really good understanding of coverage and schemes, where he knows how to get himself open at the appropriate time. And that’s part of it.

“We’re young at the wideout spot. But for those guys to be able to rely on someone like Jakobi, a kind of, ‘been there, done that’… that can help some of the young guys out there.”

The Potentials

Las Vegas does have intriguing young wide receivers on the roster that — with proper coaching and development — have the potential to become top wide receiver options.

Tucker (24 years old) showed improvement in his second season (getting 34 targets his rookie year to 81 in 2024 and hauling in 19 passes in Year 1 to 47 in Year 2), but he’d need to make a quantum leap in Year 3 to get WR1 considerations.

And some will point to Tucker’s size (or lack of it): 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds.

That said, Meyers third season in the league (2021 with the New England Patriots) is where he showcased the ability to be a top option.

Thornton (22 years old) was also mentioned above and has scintillating size (6-foot-5 and 205 pounds) speed (4.30-flat 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine) but is raw in terms of route running and refinement. But receivers that big, tall, and fast don’t come around that often.

The young wideout with the most potential to become the Raiders’ top receiver down the road is Jack Bech, taken in the second round of this past draft. Well built at 6-foot-1 and 214 pounds, Bech is a big and physical wide receiver who is very reminiscent of Meyers. Bech isn’t the fastest but his ability to muscle defenders, high point passes, and exceptional ball tracking skills should make the TCU product a favorite for Smith.

Bech (22 years old) ended his collegiate career with a 62-catch, 1,034-yard, nine-touchdown senior campaign before getting selected by Las Vegas with the 58th overall pick.