Oakland Raiders: Which Receiver Steps Up Behind Amari Cooper?

Seth Roberts, Josh Harper, Austin Willis, Milton Williams

Jun 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders receiver Seth Roberts (10) at minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The reason these four wide receivers are packaged together is because besides Roberts, they’re all undrafted free agents. All four of these players will most likely be ticketed for the practice squad and barring a major injury bug or one of these four players breaking out in the preseason, it is unlikely that any of the four will on the active roster at any point.

Roberts was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Division II West Alabama. Standing 6’1″ 196 pounds he is somewhat undersized, but he ran a 4.44 40 yard dash at his pro day. He doesn’t have dazzling college stats, but that is mainly because West Alabama runs a power run scheme; not unlike what Raiders’ coach Jack Del Rio wants to run. Roberts is in the mold of Butler, an athletic freak and will likely stay on the practice squad. But maybe somewhere down the road, he will get his shot.

Harper might be the most intriguing out of this group of four. Out of the four, Harper may have the best chance of making the main roster out of training camp. He had a prolific college career playing for Fresno State. He caught for more than 1,000 yards in his junior and senior season, snagging 13 TD’s his junior year and seven TD’s his senior.

Overall he finished his college career with 228 catches for 2938 yards, 29 TDs and a 12.9 yards per reception average. Also on Harper’s side is that his college QB Derek Carr is Oakland’s starter. There is immediate chemistry there and that may lead to him making the roster. As an UDFA, it is more likely than not that Harper starts his career on the practice squad, but maybe, just maybe, due to his college production and connection with Carr he gets his shot on the main roster.

Willis was signed after attending the Raiders’ three day rookie minicamp. He played for Emporia State, putting up decent numbers. He had to deal with backup quarterback play his final year, but still had 56 catches for 757 yards and six touchdowns. He is extremely undersized at just 5’9″ 175 pounds, so that will likely deter his young career.

The Raiders truly must have a fondness for Willis as they signed him right out of the rookie minicamp. He is almost destined to start on the practice squad, and his height may disallow him ever to see the main roster, but he performed well at Emporia and the Raiders like him, so there is a slimmer of hope for Willis.

Williams was signed as an UDFA by the Raiders, was cut, and then signed again. He seems like a long-term prospect and doesn’t have much of a chance of making the active roster. He played for Delaware State, where he appeared in 40 games, catching 126 passes for 1,162 yards and 11 touchdowns. The upside for Williams is that he is only 21, so he has time to improve. Spending a year or more on the practice squad will help Williams not only learn the offense but hone his craft and become a solid receiver.

At some point, many of these receivers may be given their shot to make a difference. As for 2015 though, besides maybe Harper, it just isn’t their time to shine.

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