Raiders.com is rolling out its annual position breakdown series, previewing every position group in the lead up to training camp. Here's a look at the receiving corps.

What's new

Jalen Nailor, one of the bigger free agent signings for the Raiders, comes to the desert with a lot of potential.

The 27-year-old spent his first four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, where he became highly regarded as a deep threat in the passing game. Despite a crowded receiver room with All-Pro Justin Jefferson, Pro Bowler Adam Thielen and first-rounder Jordan Addison, Nailor managed to make the most of his snaps. He's caught 10 touchdowns over the last two years while averaging 15.1 yards per reception.

The speedy receiver also reunites with quarterback and former Minnesota teammate Kirk Cousins.

"Every time Jalen got opportunities, he showed what he could do, and I think that showed even more there once I left Minnesota," Cousins said. "But I think to have him here and now in a bigger role, I think that's really exciting because it allows the player to really fulfill his potential. ... I think he's capable of carrying a bigger role."

Another free agent signings to the room is Dareke Young, who played under Klint Kubiak on the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. He brings special teams value with him, as he averaged 32.2 yards per kick return in 2025. The team also recently signed veteran Brandon Johnson, who recorded five touchdown receptions in his first two seasons in the league playing for the Denver Broncos.

To continue building upon the speed element, the Raiders drafted Malik Benson with their sixth-round pick. He enjoyed a breakout season at Oregon in 2025, leading the Ducks in receiving yards (719) while also catching six touchdowns. Benson continued to impress in the pre-draft process with his showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices and the Combine, where he clocked a 4.37 40-yard dash time.

"He's going to be a really great player, man," Tre Tucker said of Benson. "He can run all day, he's fast. The best thing about him is he's very coachable and willing to learn."

After the draft, the Raiders signed former Indiana receivers E.J. Williams Jr. and Jonathan Brady as UDFAs. The duo caught a combined nine touchdowns from Fernando Mendoza in 2025. Chase Roberts was also added into the mix. The 6-foot-4 receiver went for 1,656 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his last two seasons with the BYU Cougars.

Who's returning

For the first time in his NFL career, Tre Tucker finds himself as the veteran leader of the Raiders receiver room.

Tucker established himself as the team's top receiving option in 2025. With injuries limiting tight end Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers traded to the Jaguars midseason, Tucker led the team in receiving yards (696) while also grabbing a career-high five touchdowns.

"Whether you say you're receiver 1, 2, 3, 8, whatever. Like the number to me, that doesn't really matter," Tucker said during OTAs. "You go out there and I'm expecting to make plays against whoever's guarding me, that's just the mentality of it. So, I would say it's just a game, just go out there and put your best foot forward."

Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. are both looking to grow in their sophomore campaigns. Despite earning prominent roles in the offense last training camp, rookie pains and team challenges arose. Bech seemed to be more comfortable within the offense late in the season as he totaled 12 catches for 132 yards in his last five games.

"Both of those guys have been fantastic," Tucker said. "We're counting on both of those guys and they know that. I'm just very impressed because I know when I was a rookie, and coming into year two, it feels a whole lot different. So, we're going to continue to keep pushing those guys, and they're going to keep pushing themselves, and we'll see where that goes."

The returning receivers are rounded out by Shedrick Jackson, who caught his first NFL touchdown last season, and veteran Phillip Dorsett II, who has 12 career receiving touchdowns.

Keep an eye out for...

It seems that every receiver in the room has an equal opportunity to earn a starting role. It's one of the younger position groups on the roster, coming in at an average age of 25.4 years old.

Fortunately for the Raiders, the high amount of competition should bring out the best of the unit as a whole.

"We don't have egos in our room," Nailor said during minicamp. "We all want to be great, we all want to win, we want to do the right things on the field, off the field. We're just trying to be a complete room to have guys go in, like if somebody comes in for another play, we want the same expectations for that player when they come in. So, just having that type of mindset and just trying to build and just keep growing."