When it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders offense this season, pretty much all attention has gone towards rookie tight end Brock Bowers, and rightfully so, as he is having a historic first year. But quietly, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers has come on as of late as well.
Meyers dealt with some injuries early on this season, but since he is healthy, he has emerged as a reliable option for whoever the Raiders have at quarterback. Now, he has made some history by joining an elite class of undrafted players.
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Meyers became just the fifth undrafted player in NFL history to have at least 700 receiving yards in five of their first six seasons:
Sunday, Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers became 1 of only 5 undrafted players in NFL history to hit 700 receiving yards in 5 of their first 6 seasons.
The others are Antonio Gates, Drew Pearson, Gary Clark and Rob Moore. Pretty good company.— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) December 10, 2024
Meyers is in some elite company as Drew Pearson is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Antonio Gates could be joining him soon and is widely considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. Additionally, Gary Clark is a two-time Super Bowl Champion, and both he and Rob Moore made an All-Pro First Team and were multi-time Pro Bowlers.
Despite all of the issues the Raiders have had this season, Meyers is on pace for the best season of his career. He has come on strong lately with at least six receptions and 67 yards in four of his last five games, eclipsing the 100-yard mark twice in this stretch as well. Barring any major setbacks, he will almost certainly set a career-high for receptions and receiving yards and could reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.
Bowers has been an absolute star for the Raiders this year, but Jakobi Meyers has proven that the Raiders made the right move in bringing him in last year, as he has been nothing short of solid for the Silver and Black.
Raiders’ Brock Bowers breaks NFL record for receptions by a rookie tight end
The reason Jakobi Meyers hasn’t received the attention he deserves is that tight end Brock Bowers is in the midst of a historic rookie season, and the Raiders rookie recently set another major record while still having four games remaining.
Bowers set a new record for receptions by a rookie tight end in NFL history, passing the 86 receptions from Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta just last season. In addition to all of the records he has already broken, there remains an opportunity for Bowers to break the rookie record for receptions period, which Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams also set last season.