The Las Vegas Raiders began reshaping their wide receiver position during the 2022 offseason when they acquired Davante Adams in a trade with the Green Bay Packers. He was reunited with his college quarterback, Derek Carr, and continued playing at an All-Pro Level.
In his first season in Sin City, Davante Adams caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and an NFL-high 14 receiving touchdowns. It was the second time in three years the Fresno State product led the league in receiving touchdowns, a sixth straight Pro Bowl nomination and a third consecutive All-Pro First-Team nod.
Changing addresses had no impact on Davante Adams, who continues to stake a claim as the best receiver in football. There is a chance he will find it even easier to put up numbers this season after the Raiders added a new pass catcher to the lineup.
Las Vegas signed Jakobi Meyers away from the New England Patriots, agreeing to a three-year, $33 million deal. Meyers blossomed the last few seasons in New England and will be reuniting with his former offensive coordinator. In 2021, Meyers set a career-high with 866 receiving yards under McDaniels.
Davante Adams believes even bigger things are on the horizon for Meyers now that he is with the Raiders. He recently spoke glowing of his new teammate, via the Las Vegas Sun.
“I didn’t see him featured as much as maybe he should have been based on what I saw when [the Patriots] came here and we practiced against them [last summer], and so far what I’ve seen from him now. He’s a pro. He’s got a lot of tools on the field, and the way he thinks about the game as a relatively young player is impressive to me, so I’m excited to work alongside him.”
Meyers was the No. 1 option for the Patriots but should settle into a role behind Davnate Adams. While a step down in the pecking order would normally result in less production, it could very well lead to a boom for Meyers.
With defenses averting so much attention toward Davnate Adams, Meyers should find some advantageous situations to capitalize on. He will rarely be double-teamed as long as the two are sharing the field, providing some one-on-one opportunities.
A versatile receiver that can line up in the slot or on the boundary, Meyers is in a great spot to truly break out in 2023. With Mack Hollins and Darren Waller no longer on the team, there are a lot of targets available, many of which should funnel to Meyers.
