Raiders starting TE gushing about promising rookie wide receiver
· Yahoo Sports
Despite a glaring need at wide receiver this offseason, the Raiders waited until the sixth round to address the position. But the player they ended up landing may just be proving quickly that he was worth taking much higher than that.
Malik Benson was the Raiders pick at 195 and since he took the field this offseason, he has been showing up and moving up the depth chart. First showing chemistry with fellow rookie QB Fernando Mendoza and apparently some other veterans on offense as well. Including tight end Michael Mayer.
Visit afsport.lat for more information.
“I love him. That's one of my guys," Mayer said of Benson. "He's got great hands. He's quick. He's moving up, you know? He was in there with us for two-minute (drills) today, and I love when he's in there with me. We're communicating. ‘What's the digit here? What’s the NASCAR word here?’ And he just wants to get better. He keeps his head down, works hard, doesn't say much. All he wants to do is get better, and that's somebody when I look outside, and I'm in the three-point stance, I trust.”
Pretty strong words for a veteran tight end to say about a rookie. Trusting a young player that much right away.
Mayer has also been a core special teams player for the Raiders the past few years. And Benson has been among the handful of players fielding punts in camp. His speed and quickness being an additional asset that will help get him on the field early.
“He's just a young man that's coming here ready to compete for a job," said head coack Klint Kubiak. "And when a guy can make plays on offense and then be a core teams player, that says a lot to his teammates about what he's made out of.”
As someone who follows Oregon, I was actually somewhat surprised Benson was rated as low as he was in the draft process. The Raiders did well to wait and get him as low as they did. And thus far the rookie has proven me and the Raiders right that he was a great find late in this draft.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders starting TE gushing about promising rookie wide receiver