Oakland Raiders: The good, bad, and ugly in preseason win over the Packers
By Kevin Saito
Good: Marcell Ateman
Rookie seventh-round draft pick Marcell Ateman might still be a longshot to make the roster, given the depth and talent already available to the Raiders. But, he’s working hard and making a case for himself to be included with the final 53.
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Ateman’s not a burner who’s going to blow by anybody on the outside for a long gainer. But, at six-foot-four, 216 pounds, he’s a big target for Derek Carr to work with – especially down in the red zone. And as he showed against Green Bay by literally wrestling a catch away from a defender, he has power and strength – both things Oakland’s red zone offense can use.
Ateman hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, and hasn’t generated many headlines, but he’s put together a respectable preseason so far. Over the three game schedule to this point, Ateman has collected nine catches for 81 yards. No, that nine yard per reception average isn’t setting the world on fire, but as a red zone specialist, you don’t need to average a lot more than that.
He’s got size and can high point the ball pretty well. He’s got tremendous body control, a wide wing span, and good hands.
It’s an uphill climb for any seventh-round pick to make it to the 53-man roster. More so with this Raiders team, given the depth they have at the position group. But, Ateman is staking a claim, and making a solid case to grab one of the two, or three “open” slots in the receivers group.