Renfrow Gives Raiders What They Had With Biletnikoff
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Pro Bowl wide receiver Hunter Renfrow of the Las Vegas Raiders returned to action against the Houston Texans, and if tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) returns soon, quarterback Derek Carr will have had his full receiving compliment in the starting lineup, when they play in New Orleans.
The Raiders will need everyone who is healthy, including wide receiver Dante Adams in one of the best receiving corps in the NFL, as they attempt to go on the road and continue their winning ways.
Renfrow, who is 5-10 and 185 pounds, has reminded long-time members of Raider Nation of the great Fred Biletnikoff, because he’s not too big, not too fast, but can get open anywhere on the field—including deep, because of his incredible moves.
In fact, Biletnikoff took to Renfrow as soon as he came to the Raider in the fifth round (No. 149 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Clemson, where he caught a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Deshaun Watson that gave the Tigers a 35-31 victory in the National Championship Game. Renfrow also caught a 24-yard scoring pass from Watson earlier in the game and finished with 10 receptions for 92 yards.
Then Renfrow came to the Raiders and caught 49 passes for 605 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie in 2019.
“Renfrow is the closest receiver I’ve ever seen to Freddie,” said Raiders legendary quarterback Daryle Lamonica, Biletnikoff’s first quarterback with the Raiders who passed away earlier this year, after he first watched Renfrow play. “Neither one of them are the most physically talented wide receivers around, but they get open all over the field and when the ball gets to them, they catch it.
“Great moves, great hands and they make big plays.”
Biletnikoff has become something of a mentor for Renfrow and they exchange texts before every Raiders game, according to reports.
Biletnikoff said in one post on Twitter: “(Renfrow) works his ass off getting open and making tough catches, getting beat around. He just bounces back up. I don’t think there is anyone better at that (slot) position in the league than Hunter.”
When Renfrow caught his 90th pass of the season on Dec. 20, 2021, he achieved a number that had only been reached in Raiders history twice, and only by wide receivers Tim Brown and Jerry Rice, both members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“It’s incredible,” Renfrow said of his accomplishment. “Those are two of the best to play, especially for the Raiders. So, it’s an honor to be mentioned with those guys, and Fred Biletnikoff.”
Biletnikoff, who was listed at 6-1 and 190 pounds although that might have been a stretch, caught 589 passes for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in his career, which landed him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
In addition, Biletnikoff was selected as the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XI, when he made four receptions for 79 yards, including three that went to inside the two-yard-line to set up touchdowns in a 32-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Biletnikoff was a three-time AFL All-Star, was the NFL receptions lead in 1971 with 61 catches for 929 yards and nine touchdowns, and was a four-time All-Pro selection after the AFL-NFL merger was complete in 1970.
Renfrow certainly has a ways to go to match those numbers, but he is off to a good start, with 225 receptions for 2,459 yards and 15 touchdowns in three-plus seasons with the Raiders, including 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine scores last season.
The Raiders travel to the Big Easy to take on the New Orleans Saints next Sunday. That game kicks off at 1 p.m. EDT (10 a.m PDT) and can be seen on CBS.
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