WR Jakobi Meyers is Familiar With Being WR1

With the Las Vegas Raiders at an impasse with WR Davante Adams, veteran WR Jakobi Meyers is the Raiders No. 1 recieiver. After leading the New England Patriots in receiving three seasons in a row, Meyers was made for the moment.

Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) celebrates with Las Vegas Raiders tight end Zach Gentry (88) and Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker (11) at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a season of change as wide receiver Davante Adams’ injury has forced the Silver and Black to lean on the other receivers on the roster.

Adams’ absence has given multiple other receivers a chance to shine, including veteran receiver Jakobi Meyers. 

Meyers joined the Raiders last season after spending multiple seasons as the New England Patriots’ No. 1 receiver. Last season, Meyers was within striking distance of his first 1,000-yard season. If not for him missing a game due to injury and the Raiders targeting Adams 70 more times than Meyers last season, he likely would have hit the mark.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce says he could see Meyers’ potential before he arrived in Las Vegas, but with Meyers now a Raider, Pierce has a newfound respect for what he brings to the table. Pierce credited Meyers with being a student of the game and a player who works hard to perfect his craft.

"Yeah, definitely from afar, I had that perception,” Pierce said. “Whether it was in New England or just last year here, he seems like that type of guy. And then when you get here, it like hits you in the face, like immediately you get excited because you see the talent level obviously on film, but then when you get to meet the person, and you can see how in-depth he is and the details that he that he abides by the approach that he takes every single day, yeah, all that stuff blows you away." 

Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said he, the coaching staff, and the team all have faith in Meyers’ ability to be the team’s leading receiver. Getsy appreciates the consistency he was seen from Meyers since joining the team this offseason.

“Yeah, we have a ton of confidence in Jakobi [Meyers],” Getsy said. “Since the day we got here, he's been that type of guy. You talk about consistency and pro's pro like that's written all over Jakobi [Meyers]. And then the talent wise has been same thing. We haven't viewed him any differently since the day we got here. We've been really excited to work with him, and same thing, he gives you a ton of flexibility to do a lot of different things with him, and so he's a lot of fun to work with."

Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II said Meyers took a more significant role in the matchup against the Browns. However, Minshew noted Meyers did a solid job of getting open on Sunday but plans to do a better job getting him the ball moving forward. Minshew could only connect with Meyers on half of the passes he targeted Meyers on. 

"Yeah, it's kind of next man up mentality,” Minshew said. “I think everybody stepped up and played a role. Kobe [Jakobi Meyers] took on a bigger role, and he's going to be a guy. I got to do a better job of getting him the ball. He won more than we hit last week, so I think there's more there."

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