Oakland Raiders: Which Receiver Steps Up Behind Amari Cooper?

Overview

November 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders fans celebrate during the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It is probable that Crabtree will be starting next to Cooper, so he has to shine. He clearly has the talent, he just needs to show up and prove that he can be a solid WR2 in the NFL.

Behind Crabtree, will most likely be Streater. When healthy, he could probably handle the WR2 role by himself. But injuries have derailed him and he will now most likely play out of the slot. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing as Derek Carr threw the ball 599 times last year. Coach Del Rio has stated he wants to run the ball more, but there will still be plenty of passes going Streater’s way.

Holmes will most likely find playing time to spell Streater. It won’t be a direct timeshare between the two, but Holmes is too good to strictly be a WR4, but not good enough to be the starting slot man.

As for fourth receiver, it will most likely come down to Butler or Thompkins. It is a very low profile role and they won’t see the field too much except for four wide receiver sets. This battle will likely come down to the preseason and whoever outperforms the other will be given the role.

As for fifth receiver, it has yet to be seen if the Raiders will be carrying one. The Raiders can choose to keep four, but with a rookie as their true number one, they may choose to bring a fifth for security.

In that case the easy choice would be the loser of the fourth receiver race. If the Raiders want to make the “sexy” pick they can go with Harper. Whoever the fifth receiver is would backup all three receiver spots and would only see the field if there was an injury. Regardless, if the Raiders do bring a fifth whoever wins will be happy enough to be on an NFL roster.

The depth chart may not be officially set, but one thing is for certain, the Raiders’ wide receivers seem vastly improved from last year’s unit. They will need to be if they wish to compete in the 2015-16 season. With Cooper leading the group, the Raiders’ receiving corps will look to make a statement and prove that they belong in the NFL.

Next: Oakland Raiders: Using Amari Cooper on Special Teams is a Terrible Idea