Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
Derek Carr is set to have the best weapons of his career after the Las Vegas Raiders traded for Davante Adams. He now has three targets who have been to the Pro Bowl in Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow. However, in a loaded AFC West, no team can have enough dynamic weapons.
The Raiders don’t have much money left to spend so adding a bigger name like Brandin Cooks or Julio Jones isn’t likely. The team could look to the draft to add another wide receiver. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes that drafting Nicholls State wide receiver Dai’Jean Dixon would ‘benefit’ Carr.
“Adding Dixon would give Carr another underneath target who can take advantage of the double coverage Adams is likely to draw,” Knox wrote. “It would be a bit of a luxury pick but not an expensive one. The 134th-ranked prospect on the B/R board, Dixon can likely be had on Day 3.”
The Raiders wouldn’t have to use a valuable draft pick on Dixon and could grab him with a fourth or fifth-round pick. At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, he’d certainly be a big target for Carr.
“Dixon is a big-bodied receiver who aligned both inside and outside in college,” Nate Tice of Bleacher Report wrote. “He has good hands with long arms that allow him to maximize his catching range.”
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Raiders Should Prioritize Speed Over Size
Dixon could be an interesting player to develop. He’s coming from a small school where he had 3,282 receiving yards in four seasons. There’s some untapped potential there and he could end up being a sleeper. However, the Raiders should prioritize speed over size. The team signed Mack Hollins in free agency, who is 6-foot-4, 221 pounds so he should bring plenty of size to the wide receiver position.
Right now, the only true speedster the Raiders have is Tyron Johnson but he caught a total of two passes last season. Adams, Renfrow and Waller will get the majority of targets from Carr this season but he’s done well with speedy deep threats in the past. The Raiders would be wise to add one before the season starts.
Will Raiders OL Hold Up?
Carr certainly wouldn’t be opposed to getting more weapons to throw to but he’d likely prefer to get some offensive line help. The Raiders have been surprisingly inactive in addressing the offensive line. New head coach Josh McDaniels is putting a lot of trust in offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo.
The New England Patriots allowed the third least amount of sacks in the NFL last season under Bricillo’s coaching so he could work some magic in Las Vegas. He had much better talent to work with last year but the Raiders do have an elite left tackle in Kolton Miller. Opinions are very low on Alex Leatherwood but he was a first-round pick. Perhaps Bricillo can unlock his potential. Once training camp rolls around, the Raiders should have a much better idea of how the offensive line looks. If they start trying to make moves, it would likely mean the group is underwhelming.
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