The Raiders have a rich history of speed at wide receiver, dating back to franchise greats such as Art Powell, Warren Wells, Cliff Branch, Tim Brown and others.
In the offseason, Las Vegas made an effort to add to that tradition, most notably by drafting the lightning-fast Henry Ruggs III in the first round.
But Ruggs III wasn’t the only speedy WR added to the club in 2020. Las Vegas also signed free agent WR Nelson Agholor, himself a former first-round pick of the Eagles. While Ruggs III has started at WR when healthy and been a game-breaker in spots, most notably in the Raiders’ win against the Chiefs, it’s Agholor who’s been the more consistent deep threat.
According to coach Jon Gruden, Agholor’s penchant to catch bombs from quarterback Derek Carr isn’t much of a surprise.
“We said all along we think he’s a great receiver. He’s averaging over 20 yards per catch,” Gruden told reporters on Monday. “He had a big one against Buffalo called back, another touchdown. He runs great routes. He can play multiple positions. He’s a great down-to-down competitor and he’s a world champion.
“So he’s added leadership to us. He has a lot of speed, and he knows how to use it.”
Agholor, who ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash as a prospect from USC, not only averages 20.4 yards a catch, he carries an average of 13.9 yards per target. He’s making the most of his opportunities, with five touchdowns on 17 receptions.
An immediate contributor to the Eagles after being drafted in 2015, Agholor’s experience certainly helps him utilize his speed. With both he and Ruggs getting limited opportunities in Gruden’s versatile offense, the margin for error is slim. That makes NFL experience even more important.
Plus, he’s shaken his reputation for dropping passes, which only adds to his confidence. Thus far, Gruden and Carr clearly have plenty of confidence in him as well. That could help the Raiders rekindle another old tradition unseen in a bit, and that’s playing winning football for 16 games.