Raiders Roster Evaluation: Marcell Ateman
The 2021 NFL Draft is now behind us, and that means teams across the NFL are in the process of piecing together their entire rosters.
The Las Vegas Raiders are likely no different before what could be a pivotal fourth season of the second Jon Gruden era.
That's why we'll be going over roster evaluations for the Raiders players and position groups to see how everyone's stock measures up heading into the summer.
The Raiders have been no stranger to injuries at the wide receiver position over the last couple of seasons.
Talents like Tyrell Williams, Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards all missed games last season, testing the Raiders' depth at wide receiver.
It may seem surprising considering that we haven't seen more of Marcell Ateman, the Raiders seventh-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft.
At 6-4 and 215 pounds, Ateman possesses the physical qualities that would have coaches salivating to see how he would fit in their offense.
He showed his ability to produce in his final college season at Oklahoma State, putting up 59 receptions for 1,156 yards, eight touchdowns and averaged nearly 20 yards per catch.
Ateman hasn't put up numbers comparable to those so far in the NFL, although that could be partly attributed to a lack of opportunity.
He did start six of the seven games he played in 2018, totaling 15 catches for 154 yards and one touchdown.
He was active for 11 games in 2019, but was only targeted 10 times and had five catches.
Ateman has gone back and forth from the Raiders practice squad in that time as well, including last year when he didn't appear in a single game.
The Raiders brought him back on a Reserve/Futures contract in February, still showing they like what Ateman brings to the table.
All it may take is one opportunity for Ateman to prove that he can hang as a wide receiver at the NFL level.
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