Raiders rule out Jalen Nailor (concussion) Week 5

Nailor will almost assuredly sit out the Raiders’ Week 5 game against the Patriots. Fellow WR Dont’e Thornton (hamstring) is practicing in full, and WR Cody White (ankle) remains limited.

Nailor suffered a concussion against the Chiefs in Week 4 and starts out the week not practicing. This indicates he is on the wrong side of questionable for Week 5 against the Patriots. Fellow WR Cody White (ankle) was limited as well, though Dont’e Thornton (hamstring) returned to practice, giving the Raiders some reinforcement with Nailor still in concussion protocol.

Nailor took a hard hit from Chiefs S Nohl Williams in the second quarter and was forced to go to the sideline to be evaluated. The team has now announced that Nailor will not be returning for Sunday’s game. Nailor will end the day with zero receptions on zero targets and will need to clear concussion protocol if he hopes to return in Week 5 against the Patriots.

Nailor picked up on first down on the Raiders’ opening drive after going in motion and running a crossing route. Raiders QB Kirk Cousins was off-target on his other two throws to Nailor. He does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues.

Nailor caught three passes for 27 yards on five targets last week. His role shrank this time around with Tre Tucker erupting for 119 yards and a score. It will be hard for him to see more work in Week 3 if Brock Bowers is back. He is buried in the WR6 ranks ahead of the Raiders’ upcoming game versus the Saints.

Nailor picked up eight yards on QB Kirk Cousins’ first pass of the day, but quieted down after that. His next catch came with just two minutes left in the first half. Nailor’s role looked too unreliable for serious FLEX consideration in Week 2 against the Chargers, even if the Raiders will pass more there.

He punctuated his point by saying only, “still looking.” Kubiak’s ambiguous phrasing could suggest that the Raiders are seeking a wide receiver via trade, but it can also be read simply as an indictment of players like Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and Malik Benson. None of the three turned in a great game last night, while Tre Tucker was given the night off. Tucker makes for a boom-bust FLEX option in an underwhelming position group.

Both Nailor and WR Jack Bech played tonight while WR Tre Tucker took the night off. Bech failed to earn a target and played into the fifth drive. Nailor called it a night after the third drive. The Raiders’ top-three wide receivers appear to be Tucker, Nailor and Bech, in that order. Tucker might warrant matchup-based FLEX treatment in 12-team leagues.

The depth chart placement is a tad curious because it suggests Benson ran ahead of either WR Tre Tucker or WR Jack Bech. Benson has been rotating in with the first-team offense for more than a week, so this isn’t groundbreaking news, but one wonders if he can use the opportunity to make a compelling case for a starting role in three-wide receiver sets.

The Raiders are reportedly rotating five different wide receivers through team drills, including Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, Jalen Nailor and Dont’e Thornton. Tucker is the most proven player of the bunch and should be expected to secure a starting role. Things are fluid beyond that. McFadden named Benson, a sixth-round rookie, his “biggest surprise” of spring practices. He reportedly fostered a strong connection with QB Fernando Mendoza. Given his draft capital, Benson is likely a long shot to earn a starting role, but he also possesses intriguing upside as a field stretcher. Don’t bank on a breakout, but keeping an eye on him this summer is worthwhile.