Wide Receivers Oakland Raiders Must Consider in 2015 NFL Draft

The Oakland Raiders are in desperate need of an elite wide receiver. The team had several intriguing receivers in 2014, but no one stepped up as a true No. 1 option. With Derek Carr looking like the answer at quarterback, Oakland now has to focus on securing a reliable receiver threat.

Fortunately, the Raiders are in a great position to address this issue. They have the fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft, and the three teams in front of them are unlikely to select a wide receiver. This means that the Raiders can select any receiver they want.

Oakland also has a full slate of picks, which means the team will have the option of taking a receiver at any point in the draft. With the draft class being as deep at the position as it's expected to be this year, the Raiders have to consider all options.

Here's a look at how the Raiders should use the draft to address the offense's most glaring weakness.

Why Is Wide Receiver so Important?

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Here's s quick look at what Oakland's wide receivers did last season:

Player	Rec	Tar	%	YD	TD
James Jones	73	112	65.8	666	6
Andre Holmes	47	98	48	693	4
Brice Butler	21	35	60	280	2
Kenbrell Thompkins	15	37	40.6	209	0
Vincent Brown	12	21	57.1	118	0
Denarius Moore	12	27	44.4	115	0
Rod Streater	9	13	69.2	84	1

As a group, Oakland's wide receiver corps was one of the weakest in the league:

		NFL Rank
Receptions	365	t-12th
Yards	3,456	28th
Average YPC	9.5	32nd
Touchdowns	22	t-17th

The Raiders were the only team in the NFL that averaged less than 10 yards per reception.

Aside from Jones, the Raiders had no one who was reliable at the position. However, he's a second or third receiver at best and can't be depended on to take the top off the defense. He's most effective closer to the line of scrimmage and needs someone else to take on the defense's top cornerback.

Holmes' stat line isn't bad, but it's nowhere near good enough for a player who was the team's No. 1 option. He also wasn't reliable. He came down with the ball less than 50 percent of the time it was thrown in his direction.

There is also the reality that most of these receivers won't be back. Jones and Streater will return, and there's a good chance Holmes will as well. The Raiders will actively try to replace every other receiver on the roster.

Not only do the Raiders need a No. 1 receiver, but they're going to need bodies at the position. This means that Oakland should look to address the position both early in the draft and in the later rounds to add depth.

The Game Plan

Michael Perez/Associated Press

How the Raiders address the wide receiver position in the upcoming draft will depend on how the team addresses the position in free agency. The team will pursue players like Jeremy Maclin and Randall Cobb. There's a real possibility that one of them will end up in Oakland given the estimated $51.9 million the Raiders are projected to have in cap room.

This will change the Raiders' approach in the draft. Do they take a receiver early to be that No. 1 guy, or do they take a receiver later to complement the top receiver they picked up in free agency?

The following are six wide receivers the Raiders should look to pick up in the 2015 draft. The players projected to go in the first and second round are the best options if the Raiders can't land a top receiver in free agency.

If they do, then the receivers in Rounds 3-5 are the best options to come in and add depth.

Amari Cooper (Alabama)

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Projection: First Round

2014 Stats
Rec	YD	Avg	TD
124	1,727	13.9	16

People are going to continue to question whether Amari Cooper's success in college was the result of talent or playing for one of the country's most dominant college football programs. That won't be answered until he faces NFL competition. For now, he'll remain the consensus top wide receiver prospect.

He's arguably the most complete receiver coming out of college, and he's the ideal follow-up pick to last year's selection of Derek Carr. The Raiders have found their quarterback. Now, they have to get him someone to throw to.

Cooper benefited from playing for Alabama, but that doesn't take away from his ability to stretch the field, get open and secure passes. The Raiders have some nice pieces at receiver, but they've all been asked to play too high on the depth chart. Drafting Cooper would bump everyone down and put them in a position to have more success, which would make the entire unit stronger.

If Oakland decides to go with a wide receiver at No. 4 overall, Cooper is the best option.

Kevin White (West Virginia)

USA TODAY Sports

Projection: First Round

2014 Stats
Rec	YD	Avg	TD
109	1,447	13.3	10

As of now, Kevin White is the second best option at wide receiver. His numbers are comparable to Cooper's, and he could turn out to be the best receiver of this class. 

But as of now, fourth overall is too high to take him.

Of course, there's the possibility that the Oakland front office falls in love with White, in which case taking him at fourth overall could happen. This wouldn't be a terrible choice, but he would have to produce immediately.

While White will go in the first round, it shouldn't be until after the fourth pick. For this pick to make sense, the Raiders have to trade down. Ideally, that would include a move down to No. 10 overall. At this spot, selecting White would make much more sense.

Nelson Agholor (USC)

USA TODAY Sports

Projection: Second Round

2014 Stats
Rec	YD	Avg	TD
104	1,313	12.6	12

Trying to find a No. 1 wide receiver in the second round is tricky, but it can happen. If the Raiders look for a No. 1 option in the second, the best option would be Nelson Agholor.

What the Raiders need is proven production from a receiver who can make a lot of catches and get into the end zone. That's what they'll get from Agholor. He pulled down 104 catches in one of the country's toughest conferences, so he knows how to be successful against better competition that's keying in on him.

Given his college production, Agholor could easily find himself gone in the first round in a different year. But with how deep this year's group of receivers is, he'll end up being a steal for a team in the second. If the Raiders go in a different direction in the first and he's available in the second, they should jump at the opportunity.

Tony Lippett (Michigan State)

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Projection: Third Round

2014 Stats
Rec	YD	Avg	TD
65	1,198	18.4	11

Tony Lippett is one of the most intriguing mid-round options. He had a great 2014, and at 6'3" and 185 pounds, he has ideal size.

He improved every year in college, but he never had more than two touchdown receptions in any season until his last. He also made a huge jump in yardage, going from 613 yards in 2013 to almost double that last season. The question is whether his senior season was a sign of him finally figuring out how to use his 6'3" frame, or if it was just an aberration.

But if the Raiders wait until the third round to find a receiver, what they'll be looking for is a contributor, and Lippett can be that. His 18.4-yard average and 11 touchdowns exemplify his ability to stretch the field and make big plays. That's a great option to have as a second or third receiver. He would be a great complement to the No. 1 receiver Oakland adds through free agency.

Vince Mayle (Washington State)

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Projection: Fourth Round

2014 Stats
Rec	YD	Avg	TD
106	1,483	14.0	9

Vince Mayle has the makings of a mid-round gem. The physical tools are there, but limited experience means that he'll need a lot of coaching before he becomes a reliable producer.

One of the biggest knocks against him is a lack of fundamentals. Catching the ball with his body instead of his hands led to too many drops in college. He also struggled with physical cornerbacks despite his 6'3", 219-pound frame. He has great jump-ball ability, which makes him an immediate red-zone option, but he needs to learn how to make better use of his physicality in other areas of the field.

But as a fourth-round pick, he'd have the opportunity to learn on the job without having to assume too much responsibility too early. He would have time to learn from Jones, Streater and the veterans the Raiders bring in.

Mayle would begin as a fourth or fifth option and still have the opportunity to play. As he improves his fundamentals, he could work his way up the depth chart to a more prominent role.

Stefon Diggs (Maryland)

USA TODAY Sports

Projection: Fourth/Fifth Round

2014 Stats
Rec	YD	Avg	TD
62	792	12.8	5

Of all of the players on this list, no one has as much of a possibility of making a major move up draft boards as Stefon Diggs does. He's an explosive talent with game-changing ability. He was able to put up solid numbers in 2014 despite playing on an offense with a suspect offensive line and unreliable quarterback play.

His biggest issue has been injuries. Following an impressive rookie year, he never again played a full season. He missed six games due to a broken leg two years ago and then missed two games this past season because of a lacerated kidney.

If he can prove over the next few months that he's healthy, teams will love what they see, and he'll start to move up. He could make his way up into the third round by the draft if everything goes right.

But for now, he's a late fourth- or early fifth-round prospect with a ton of potential. Either through free agency or the draft, the Raiders will have the top of their wide receiver depth chart figured out by the time this part of the draft rolls around. And if Diggs is still available, he would be a dangerous third or fourth option and could turn out to be one of the steals of the draft.

Conclusion

Ben Margot/Associated Press

The only realistic options for Oakland in the first round are Cooper and White. Dorial Green-Beckham and DeVante Parker will also go in the first, but that won't happen until the second half of the round, where the Raiders will no longer be in the mix.

Agholor in the second round is the Raiders' last option if they hope to get a No. 1 receiver in the draft. After that, the team can only add depth.

Free agency will play a big part in this decision. But no matter which free-agent wide receiver(s) Oakland adds, the team still has to address the position in the draft. 

And with a class this deep, the Raiders should be able to add a dangerous weapon to Carr's arsenal no matter when they decide to add a receiver.

Projected draft positions taken from CBSSports.com. Unless otherwise noted, all stats taken from ESPN.com.

Follow and share your thoughts and opinions on Twitter @BrianJ_Flores.