The 2019 draft class for the Oakland Raiders is one that is going to be remembered for some time. The team had three first-round picks and used those picks on Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, and Johnathan Abram. While not everyone will agree with those selections, there is one pick that is hard to criticize.
In the fifth-round, general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden needed to find a receiver, and they managed to find one of the best in their entire class. Somehow, Clemson’s Hunter Renfrow was still available, and the Raiders scooped him up.
In just 13 games and four starts, Renfrow managed to be one of the best rookie receivers in the league. He racked up 605 receiving yards on 49 receptions and scored four touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the site’s sixth-highest graded rookie this season and was named the best value pick for the Raiders:
(Hunter) Renfrow (No. 149 overall) had a solid debut season. There were three rookie wide receivers with more than 2 receiving yards per route run: A.J. Brown (2.67), Terry McLaurin (2.11) and Renfrow (2.01). He easily beat out his fifth-round value as a rookie.
In Year 2, expect the Raiders to rely even more on Renfrow, especially on third down. There is also a chance the team moves him into more of a full-time receiver role rather than just a third-down slot specialist. Considering where the team selected Renfrow, there may not have been a better pick in the entire 2019 NFL Draft.
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