Tag: Kristian Wilkerson

Raiders Week 7 snap counts vs Rams: Who filled in at receiver with Jakobi Meyers OUT

With Davante Adams traded away and Jakobi Meyers again out with injury, the Raiders had to cobble together a wide receiver corps vs the Rams

It is becoming increasingly obvious with each game the lack of star power on this Raiders team. Obviously it starts at quarterback where it clearly hasn’t mattered whether it’s Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew behind center. But it extends well beyond that.

Several of the team’s biggest stars heading into this season were not on the field or not on the roster for Sunday’s game in Los Angeles. Including Davante Adams who was traded to the Jets and Christian Wilkins who is on injured reserve.

At receiver in particular, they were also without start Jakobi Meyers who has an ankle injury.

Leading the way in snaps for the Raiders were Tre Tucker and DJ Turner, both of whom plaed 75 snaps (95%). That takes care of one outside receiver spot (Tucker) and the slot (Turner).

For the other receiver spot, the duties were split between recent practice squad players Alex Bachman and Kristian Wilkerson; neither of whom got a single target. So, yeah, not really what you want.

It was a four-man rotation at defensive tackle of Adam Butler, John Jenkins, Jonah Laulu, and Matthew Butler.

Offense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Jackson Powers-Johnson G 79 100% 5 18%
Kolton Miller T 79 100% 5 18%
Jordan Meredith G 79 100% 5 18%
DJ Glaze T 79 100% 5 18%
Andre James C 79 100% 0 0%
DJ Turner WR 75 95% 7 25%
Tre Tucker WR 75 95% 0 0%
Brock Bowers TE 66 84% 0 0%
Gardner Minshew II QB 65 82% 0 0%
Alexander Mattison RB 55 70% 0 0%
Alex Bachman WR 36 46% 12 43%
Harrison Bryant TE 23 29% 4 14%
Kristian Wilkerson WR 18 23% 6 21%
John Samuel Shenker TE 14 18% 11 39%
Aidan O’Connell QB 14 18% 0 0%
Ameer Abdullah RB 13 16% 15 54%
Zamir White RB 11 14% 0 0%
Justin Shorter TE 3 4% 12 43%
Andrus Peat G 3 4% 5 18%
Thayer Munford T 3 4% 5 18%
Defense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Isaiah Pola-Mao FS 55 100% 7 25%
Maxx Crosby DE 55 100% 1 4%
Tre’von Moehrig FS 55 100% 0 0%
Robert Spillane LB 55 100% 0 0%
Jack Jones CB 53 96% 0 0%
Divine Deablo LB 51 93% 11 39%
Nate Hobbs CB 48 87% 0 0%
Jakorian Bennett CB 44 80% 0 0%
Adam Butler DT 36 65% 5 18%
John Jenkins DT 34 62% 7 25%
Tyree Wilson DE 30 55% 3 11%
Jonah Laulu DT 27 49% 6 21%
K’Lavon Chaisson LB 22 40% 1 4%
Matthew Butler DT 16 29% 4 14%
Charles Snowden DE 11 20% 11 39%
Decamerion Richardson CB 9 16% 16 57%
Thomas Harper FS 4 7% 16 57%
Special Teams Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Amari Gainer LB 0 0% 23 82%
Amari Burney LB 0 0% 23 82%
Christopher Smith SS 0 0% 16 57%
Trey Taylor SS 0 0% 12 43%
Daniel Carlson K 0 0% 10 36%
Jacob Bobenmoyer LS 0 0% 9 32%
AJ Cole III P 0 0% 9 32%
Darnay Holmes CB 0 0% 7 25%
Nesta Jade Silvera DT 0 0% 7 25%
Cody Whitehair G 0 0% 5 18%
Tyreik McAllister RB 0 0% 2 7%

Raiders make 3 roster moves ahead of Week 7 vs Rams

Raiders’ moves on Saturday were centered around filling their thin receiver corps.

The Raiders are quite thin at wide receiver at the moment. They traded away Davante Adams and are likely to be without Jakobi Meyers as well as he is officially Doubtful for the game with an ankle injury.

To help fill out the roster, they have signed WR Alex Bachman from the practice squad and activated WR Kristian Wilkerson as well and TE Justin Shorter from the practice squad as well.

Bachman had been activated from the practice squad the past three weeks. Last week against the Steelers he caught three passes for 31 yards.

Wilkerson was activated last week for the first time this season and had two catches for 18 yards and a touchdown. He was with the Raiders last season, appearing in two games with one start.

Shorter was a 2023 fifth round pick by the Bills, but got injured and spent his rookie season on injured reserve. He was among the final roster cuts last August and was signed to the Raiders practice squad.

5 takeaways from Raiders 53-man roster

We have the Raiders initial 53-man roster. And with it there are some interesting observations. Let’s look into a few of those which stood out to me.

We have the Raiders initial 53-man roster. And with it there are some interesting observations. Let’s look into a few of those which stood out to me.

Some teams have opted to carry three quarterbacks on the roster. Others have gone with just two, essentially placing their third quarterback on the practice squad. The Raiders chose the latter. Most likely they will bring back either Carter Bradley or Nathan Peterman to be that third QB. But if another QB comes available they like, who knows.

Kristian Wilkerson seemed like a shoo-in to make the Raiders roster. But he and Jalen Guyton were both cut in favor of a couple young players who showed a lot of potential. Tyreik McAllister showed elite speed and kick return abilities while undrafted rookie Ramel Keyton showed great skills and length as a receiver. We will wait to see if they are both still on the roster after whomever the Raiders add off waivers, but they are here now over Wilkerson and Guyton, and that says a lot.

Nine offensive linemen are on the Raiders squad. Almost all of them play multiple positions. Cody Whitehair, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Dyland Parham can all play both center and guard. Andrus Peat can play guard and tackle. And Thayer Munford and DJ Glaze can play either tackle spot in a pinch.

Seven linebackers is a lot. Like a LOT lot. Mainly because we aren’t in the age of a middle linebacker and two outside linebackers any more. In most cases there will be just two linebackers on the field at any given time. So, at most five linebackers is needed. My hunch is one or two of them will be headed for IR with designation to return and perhaps one waived with the hope for a return to the practice squad. If it’s IR, then Tommy Eichenberg and/or Amari Burney would be the likely candidates as both got banged up this preseason.

Did I mention there are SEVEN linebackers? That will not stay that way. See the above for how that could go down. There’s also five defensive tackles and six cornerbacks despite Antonio Pierce’s displeasure with the preseason performances by the depth at both positions.

The two DT’s who made it on the end of the roster are last year’s draft picks Byron Young and Nesta Jade Silvera. Likewise both rookie cornerbacks made it along with Brandon Facyson who can’t seem to get healthy, making for another candidate for temporary IR.

So, you can see several positions that could see moves made as the team welcomes a few waiver claims.

Raiders keep CFL star and undrafted rookie WR on 53-man roster over two established veterans

Raiders keep CFL star and undrafted rookie WR on 53-man roster over two established veterans

One of the more shocking moves the Raiders made today was to cut Kristian Wilkerson. They also cut Jalen Guyton, making for two veteran receivers let go in favor of young hopefuls.

Making the Raiders initial 53-man roster instead are undrafted rookie Ramel Keyton and former CFL return specialist Tyreik McAllister.

Both players flashed in camp. With McAllister blowing everyone away in the final preseason game with an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown and a savvy touchdown catch.

Keyton had a few nice plays late in that game, showing the instincts and physical gifts he had displayed in the team’s scrimmage in camp.

In the end, the Raiders saw the two youngsters as too valuable to cut. Or at very least too risky to put on waivers in the hopes of getting either of them back on the practice squad.

Keyton showed talent that can be developed while McAllister showed return abilities that can be utilized right away.

There is still the question of what the Raiders do on the waiver wire. But for now, these two have broken through onto the roster, beating out two established veterans to do it.

Raiders winners and losers in 24-24 preseason tie vs. 49ers

The Raiders closed the preseason with a tie, even though Las Vegas played its reserves against 49ers starters. Who stood out the most?

The Raiders preseason finally came to a close on Friday night in a 24-24 tie against the 49ers in Las Vegas, as coach Antonio Pierce sat his starters while the 49ers played many of their stars, including quarterback Brock Purdy. Still, the Raiders’ reserves held their own, especially on defense.

The Las Vegas offense was without its top two quarterbacks and struggled early, but the Raiders’ special teams had a big day. Tyreik McAllister took an 81-yard punt return to the house for the Raiders’ first score of the night, and he added a touchdown catch later in the game for good measure.

McAllister was easily the biggest winner of the night. Here are the rest of the players who stood out this week, for better or worse.

Winner: DE Janarius Robinson

Before we get to McAllister’s big day, defensive end Janarious Robinson deserves his due. He had a tackle for loss on the 49ers’ first drive, helping the Raiders hold the San Francisco starting offense to a field goal.

Robinson led a strong pass rush for Las Vegas and pressured Purdy into a second-quarter interception. He was a lock to make the roster coming into this game and his pass-rush ability provides key depth up front.

Winner: WR Tyreik McAllister

The Raiders have been looking for depth at wide receiver and McAllister made a statement on Friday night. A former star in the Canadian Football League, McAllister scored the Raiders first points of the night on an 81-yard punt return.

His touchdown catch was equally impressive, perhaps even more so. He made an athletic adjustment on a throw by QB Carter Bradley.

It’s hard to say whether McAllister will make the Raiders’ final cut. But his chances are certainly much higher after this performance.

Winner: DBs Sam Webb and Chris Smith II

The Raiders reserves had the last laugh against Purdy, who made his share of splash plays. On Purdy’s final snap of the game, pressure from Robinson forced a throw into tight coverage by Raiders cornerback Sam Webb. Webb tipped the ball in the air, and safety Chris Smith II was in perfect position to intercept the ball.

Winner: LB Amari Gainer

Linebacker Amari Gainer made his case to remain a Raider with his play on defense and special teams. He recorded an impressive special teams tackle early in the game and finished with more than 10 tackles on defense, including two tackles for loss. He had a late penalty for a hit to the head, but that hardly put a damper on his day.

Winner: WR Kristian Wilkerson

Though he didn’t have the day McAllister did, WR Kristian Wilkerson gave the Raiders brass more to think about on cut-down day with his touchdown grab from quarterback Nathan Peterman.

Loser: RB Dylan Laube

Rookie running back Dylan Laube got the starting nod on Friday and appeared primed for his breakout moment. For a minute, he did break out. But after several impressive plays, he was belted by a 49ers defender after a nice catch and run. He fumbled the football and didn’t see action at running back for the rest of the game.

Laube still got some touches on special teams, which probably helped sustain his confidence. He’ll need it if he wants to contribute to the Raiders offense this season.

Loser: WR Jalen Guyton

Wide receiver Jalen Guyton had to make an impact on Friday to make the roster, and while he had some key catches on the Raiders’ touchdown drive to close the first half, he was outdone by McAllister and Wilkerson.

This game was a reversal from the Raiders’ loss against the Cowboys last week when Las Vegas starters faced Dallas backups. The Raiders reserves responded, and now it’s time for coach Pierce and crew to shape their final roster. Soon enough, we’ll see what this Raiders team is really made of when they face the Chargers in Week 1.

Raiders preseason Week 1 vs Vikings: What to watch for

What to watch for in Raiders preseason opener in Minnesota

It’s game day. For the first time in over seven months, the Raiders take the field for a game. This first outing is their preseason opener in Minnesota.

The game will air on NFL Network at 1pm Pacific (3pm local, 4pm ET). You can see all the details of how to watch here.

For that, here are a few things to watch for.

Quarterback competition

This is the number one reason to tune in by a wide margin. Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell will each get a quarter of play. Antonio Pierce has not revealed who will take the field first, but the order will be flipped next week when the face the Cowboys in Las Vegas.

What does matter here is we could get to see one QB against Vikings starters and the other against backups and fringe players. As in most cases the expected starters play very little in the first preseason matchup, if at all.

This competition has been raging on through training camp and to anyone watching, Minshew has a clear lead between the two, if only a slight one. It’s not decisive, which is why O’Connell still has a chance to come charging back in the competition with his play in preseason and the remaining practices before the season begins.

Rookie standouts

Raiders fans are no doubt excited to get to see 13th overall pick Brock Bowers take the field for the first time. There are obviously high hopes for the decorated tight end out of Georgia and Napa California native. 

The rest of the class has some guys hoping to continue their fine play from the camp in the preseason. Including Round three tackle DJ Glaze, Round four cornerback Decamerion Richardson, Round five linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, Round six running back Dylan Laube, round seven CB MJ Devonshire, and undrafted receiver Ramel Keyton.

Kick returns

This year the kick returner job is far more exciting due to the new kickoff rules.For that reason, it will be very interesting to see how the Raiders handle it and specifically *who* handles it. The previously mentioned Dylan Laube figures to find a role there, but others have gotten work there as well, including Ameer Abdullah and even cornerback Jack Jones.

As far as how Daniel Carlson changes his kicking strategy, I would be surprised if he reveals much about that in this game. Best to keep it status quo before the games count. Gotta keep Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers guessing until the season opener.

Next men up

Often times the entrenched starters won’t play in the preseason opener. But some will not play for other reasons. Left tackle Kolton Miller is on the PUP list, as is rookie left guard Jackson Powers-Johnson. Davante Adams was absent the last week of camp because he was home in Las Vegas awaiting the birth of his child.

Stepping up for those three will be three veterans: Andrus Peat (LT), Cody Whitehair (LG), and Kristian Wilkerson (WR).

Other game coverage:

How to watch Raiders preseason Week 2 vs Vikings

5 Raiders battles to watch on offense in preseason opener in Minnesota

5 Raiders battles to watch on offense in preseason opener in Minnesota

9 players who opened some eyes at Raiders camp

Raiders preseason opener will be ‘very telling’ in QB competition

Breaking down Raiders first unofficial depth chart of preseason

Winners from Raiders training camp scrimmage

Raiders sign LB Malik Reed off practice squad, waive WR Kristian Wilkerson

For the second time since the depature of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, the Raiders new head coach/GM duo of Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly have parted ways with offseason free agent additions. Thursday the team announced they had waived …

For the second time since the depature of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, the Raiders new head coach/GM duo of Antonio Pierce and Champ Kelly have parted ways with offseason free agent additions.

Thursday the team announced they had waived cornerback David Long Jr. Saturday they said goodbye to wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson.

In both cases, the team did so in order to add a linebacker. Thursday it was signing Jaylon Smith off the Saints practice squad. And Saturday it was signing Malik Reed off their own practice squad.

Reed went undrafted out of Nevada in 2019. He played three seasons with the Broncos before being traded to the Steelers. He hit free agency this offseason, signing with the Dolphins, but was released following training camp. He has been on the Raiders practice squad much of this season.

Along with Reed’s signing, the Raiders also elevated WR DJ Turner and G Netane Muti from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Giants.

Raiders vs Steelers inactives: Veteran WR Kristian Wilkerson sits in favor of rookie Tre Tucker

Rookie WR Tre Tucker will be active while veteran Kristian Wilkerson sits out vs Steelers

It’s Sunday night and the Raiders are about to kick off their home opener against the Steelers, Here’s who won’t be taking the field for the game:

Raiders inactives:

No. 4 QB Aidan O’Connell
No. 29 S Chris Smith II
No. 56 LB Amari Burney
No. 83 WR Kristian Wilkerson
No. 99 DT Nesta Jade Silvera

Once again, most of the Raiders’ rookie class will be inactive. The one notable rookie *not* inactive this week is Tre Tucker, who gets the call while veteran Kristian Wilkerson is inactive.

The only player on the Raiders injury report this week was DE Tyree Wilson who was Questionable with an illness. He is active for the game.

Steelers inactives:

No. 2 QB Mason Rudolph (3rd QB)
No. 48 RB Godwin Igwebuike
No. 60 T Dylan Cook
No. 82 WR Dez Fitzpatrick
No. 89 WR Gunner Olszewski
No. 96 NT Breiden Fehoko

Raiders clear up picture at wide receiver with release of veterans Keelan Cole, Phillip Dorsett

WR picture gets clearer for Raiders with release of vets Keelan Cole, Phillip Dorsett

And in one fell swoop, the Raiders have given us a better idea of what the Raiders wide receiver room will look like this season.

With the cutdown deadline fast approaching, the team has notified Keelan Cole and Phillip Dorsett they will not be on the initial 53-man roster, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL media.

With four of the wide receiver spots looking to be set, it leaves one or two spots up for grabs and three receivers left to take it/them.

The four spots that are set are:

Davante Adams
Jakobi Meyers
Hunter Renfrow
DeAndre Carter

The three receivers vying for either the final spot or final two spots are Tre Tucker, Kristian Wilkerson, and Cam Sims.

Tucker looked terrible in preseason, dropping passes and muffing kicks. The only thing he may have going for him is being a third round (100 overall) rookie. But will that be enough?

Both Wilkerson and Sims made solid cases for their retention this preseason. Wilkerson in particular had a monster final preseason game in Dallas, with 10 catches for 122 yards. Sims had highlight reel grabs in both the final two preseason games. The first a toe-tapping touchdown against the Rams and the other a leaping 22-yard grab against the Cowboys.

Wilkerson is more of a possession receiver while Sims is a jump ball/red zone target. Wilkerson has familiarity in Josh McDaniels’s system, having spent two seasons in New England in 2020-21. Sims has more NFL experience, having appeared in 55 games with 17 starts over five seasons.

We will know soon which of these three made the roster.

UPDATE: Kristian Wilkerson has made the Raiders’ 53-man roster according to a source. That puts the Raiders WR room at five.

Ballers & Busters: Raiders preseason Week 3 vs Cowboys

Raiders Ballers & Buster for their preseason finale vs Cowboys

One more chance for many hopefuls on this Raiders training camp roster to show what they can do, both for the Raiders coaches as well as the rest of the league.

How did they do in this final exhibition? Let’s take a look

Ballers

WR Kristian Wilkerson

With one, and possibly two, receiver spots up for grabs on the Raiders roster, Wilkerson set out to prove he was worthy of it. And he put his best foot forward, catching 10 passes for 122 yards. No other Raiders receiver came with seven catches of his total and only one receiver came within 100 yards of his receiving total.

K Daniel Carlson

Went three for three in the game, including a 62-yarder and a 50-yarder. That 62-yarder was an upright splitter which looked like it would’ve been good from 70 yards. What a weapon.

RB Damien Williams

He doesn’t just have a great first name, he was breaking off big yards in chunks. He had two of the top four longest plays by the Raiders in this game and the only two runs that went for over ten yards. He had the Raiders’ only touchdown in the game on a 24-yard burst. Then he had a 20-yard run to lead out the third quarter that led to a field goal. He finished with 54 yards and a TD on six carries (nine yards per carry).

G Jordan Meredith

On both of those long Williams runs, Meredith laid a key block. His only mistake in the game was being flagged for holding.

DT Nesta Jade Silvera

Early in the second quarter, he had a run stuff for one yard on third and two. A few plays later he made the stop on a three-yard run. His best play may have come on a 16-yard catch in which he raced into the secondary to make the tackle. His five combined tackles led all Raiders defensive linemen. He added a QB hit as well.

Honorable Mention

QB Aidan O’Connell — Another efficient day for the rookie. Though he was unable to throw any touchdowns, he didn’t turn the ball over either.

WR Cam Sims — Had another fantastic grab in this one. This time reaching up high to pluck a 22-yard grab up the left sideline. The skills he has shown as a jump ball target are valuable.

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