A name that has suddenly gone under the radar for the Las Vegas Raiders is wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. Two seasons ago Renfrow was being considered by many to be arguably the best slot receiver in the NFL after totaling 103 catches and surpassing 1,000 receiving yards on his way to his first Pro Bowl selection.
But after signing a contract extension with the Raiders, Renfrow dealt with injuries all of last season and his numbers took a big dip because of it. Now with the Raiders adding Jakobi Meyers in free agency and drafting tight end Michael Mayer in the second round, along with All-Pro Davante Adams, Renfrow isn’t being talked about nearly as much heading into training camp this season.
But one of Renfrow’s teammates still views him extremely highly. Cornerback Ike Brown recently appeared on the UCE Nation Podcast and gave some unique praise to Renfrow, noting that he would rather have to defend the All-Pro in Adams than the Raiders’ slot man, via Aidan Champion of Sports Illustrated:
“No disrespect, but I would rather guard Tae [Adams] than Hunter,” Brown said when he joined the “UCE Nation Podcast” in April. ” … He’s like a puzzle, man. And it’s like a puzzle you can’t figure out. So he’s very smart, man. And it’s just like, he’s very quiet and humble.”
No one should confuse this with Brown saying that Renfrow is the better receiver than Adams, but rather that he presents a much different set of problems. Certain corners are better at covering certain types of receivers, and for Brown, Renfrow is that type of player who gives him trouble, and that is the case for many others around the league.
Adams is arguably the best receiver in the NFL today, but he isn’t gonna beat you with shiftiness and quick moves like Renfrow will. In Brown’s eyes, he would much rather deal with the physicality and route running of Adams.
But having both, along with Meyers and Mayer, and hopefully, Josh Jacobs out of the backfield, is what makes the Raiders offense potentially so dangerous. It really could be a pick-your-poison dilemma for defenses as the Raiders have so many weapons across the field, all of whom can beat you in different ways.
Due to a down year last season, many have forgotten about Renfrow, and some thought he would be dealt away like Darren Waller was. But he is still in silver and black and poised to remind everyone just what he is capable of this year.
