Raiders Top Five 2020 Opponents by Position: Wide Receivers

If you would like to know how the Las Vegas Raiders secondary will match up against elite wide receivers, you are lucky. This year the Silver and Black will go against the five receivers who recorded for the most receiving yards in the NFL last season.

As we continue to look into the Raiders matchups by position, we dig deep and rank the top five wide receivers the Raiders will face this year.

A year ago, the Raiders defense ranked 23rd with 2,681 yards and 21st with 17 touchdowns allowed by wide receivers.

The Raiders made sure to get help on defense—drafting corners Damon Arnette in the firstround and Amik Robertson in the fourth round.

The Raiders also brought in veteran help by signing two free agents, cornerback Prince Amukamara and safety Damarious Randall.

Not only will they face the top pass-catchers based on stats, but they will also meet five of the top 10 graded receivers by PFF from a year ago.

In a pass-driven league, quarterbacks and wide receivers stand out the most. With so many elite pass-catchers in the league, there can be a debate between who can be in the top five and who can sit at No. 1.

Let's start it off

At No. 5 is Tampa Bay's Mike Evans. Evans has been an elite wideout since day one. Putting up great numbers with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston, imagine what he's going to do with Tom Brady as his quarterback. PFF ranked him as the sixth-best wide receiver with an 85.7 offensive grade. The Raiders will have a handful when they host the Bucs on week 7.

At No. 4 is Evans' Bucs teammate Chris Godwin. Last season, PFF gaved Godwin the highest offensive grade by any wide receiver, 90.7. Godwin also came in second on the receiving grade with a score of 90.4. Godwin's ability to get open and be at the right spot at the right time will make things easier for quarterback Tom Brady. Goodwin's 1,333 receiving yards last season came in third-most in the NFL. Week 7 seems to be a tough matchup for the Raiders, as they face two elite wide receivers and elite tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Talking about elite players, at No.3 the Raiders will face Tyreek Hill of AFL rival Kansas City. An elite wide receiver with great speed always is lethal against any defense. Facing the fastest wide receiver in the NFL twice a year helps the Raiders secondary. PFF graded Hill as the eighth-highest receiver with an 84.5 mark. He might not be crafty on his route-running, but once he catches the ball, good luck finding him. Watch this match-up in Week 5 and Week 11.

Things start to get very difficult here, and there can be a debate about who is the better receiver.

At No. 2 is last year's NFL leading receiving Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints. His 1,725 receiving yards were the most among wide receivers and set an NFL record of 149 receptions in a single season. Drew Brees' secret weapon doesn't seem to slow down any time soon. According to PFF, Thomas received the third-highest grade among receivers, 90.4, and was first in receiving grades with a 90.7. Thomas will be the Raiders' real test at the beginning of the season, as they host the Saints in their home opener in Week 2.

At No. 1 is Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones. What Jones has accomplished is extraordinary, and his Hall of Fame resume proves why he is ranked at the top of the list. Last season, Jones came in second in receiving yards with 1,394 and recorded six touchdowns. He has been quarterback Matt Ryan's safety blanket for so many years, although he might be criticized by many for not having that many touchdowns, Jones proves he can move an offense downfield by carrying his team on his back. PFF gave Jones the second-highest offensive grade among receivers, 90.6. The Raiders will visit Jones in Atlanta in Week 12. Having played Thomas early in the season should help the defense go against other elite receivers later in the season.

Other notable receivers who did not make cut the list include Stefon Diggs of the Buffalo Bills, Odell Beckham Jr. of the Cleveland Browns and Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers.

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