Oakland Raiders: Three-Way Race For The Fifth Receiver Spot

Jaydon Mickens

Age: 23

From: Los Angeles, CA

5’11”, 170lbs

College: Washington

A short, smaller receiver by NFL standards, Jaydon Mickens is easy to overlook. That is, until he awes you with his quickness.

When scouts talk about quick, twitchy receivers, this is the kind of player they are referring to. At his pro day Mickens ran a very strong 6.58 second 3-cone drill, a measure of short area acceleration and agility.

Although they are light years apart in terms of production in the NFL, one could make a natural comparison to Brandin Cooks with regards to ability to make defenders look silly in open space.

At 5’11” Mickens stands an inch taller than Cooks but gives up about 20 pounds to the newly minted New England Patriot. Working with a smaller frame, Mickens could excel on special teams — especially in the return game.

Mickens’ production was limited in college due to mediocre quarterback play and the offensive scheme, per Lance Zerlein of NFL.com. He did manage to collect 15 touchdowns through his four years playing for the Huskies.

These are not numbers that jump off the screen, but his burst and acceleration worked well enough for him to secure a practice squad spot with the Raiders in 2016.

The youngest of the group, Mickens is elevating his approach to the game to a more controlled perspective. In a video piece on Raiders.com posted in July, Mickens acknowledged that he has “grown so much from taking this job as rah rah rah to calm down be a professional.”