This Raiders Playmaker Could Be Massive Sleeper

You may want to keep an eye on the Las Vegas Raiders' Ramel Keyton for the remainder of the NFL season.

Aug 17, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Ramel Keyton (82) misses a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders don't exactly have a whole lot of weapons offensively, and it doesn't help that their quarterback situation isn't the best, either.

The Raiders rank 29th in the NFL in yards and 26th in scoring, so they are in need of some sort of spark on that side of the football.

Oh, and they also traded their best offensive player in Davante Adams earlier in the season (which makes their decision to stand pat at the trade deadline all the more peculiar, but I digress).

But where can that extra production come from?

Well, how about rookie wide receiver Ramel Keyton?

Keyton, who went undrafted, was elevated to the active roster at the beginning of the month. He made his debut last week, logging one catch for seven yards in Las Vegas' loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

He hasn't shown anything on the NFL level just yet that would lead anyone to believe that he has significant potential, but his collegiate production suggests otherwise.

Keyton played at the University of Tennessee from 2019 through 2023, and while he was a bit of a late bloomer, he definitely burst on to the scene over his final two seasons with the Volunteers.

The 24-year-old caught 31 passes for 562 yards and five touchdowns in 2022, and last year, he hauled in 35 receptions for 642 yards and six scores.

What's most impressive about those numbers are Keyton's yards per catch, as he posted 18.1 yards per grab in the former year and 18.3 in the latter.

The 6-foot-2 prospect absolutely needs some work on his route running, but his spectacular one-handed catch against the San Francisco 49ers during the preseason indicated that he may have better hands than many anticipated.

With the Raiders having Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker and not a whole lot else at wide out, Keyton definitely has an opportunity to shine down the stretch, especially with Las Vegas being just 2-7 and searching for answers for the future.

This doesn't mean that Keyton will suddenly average 10 targets a game, but it would not be surprising if the Raiders aimed to incorporate him into the offense more during the back half of the season.

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