UDFA WR Keelan Doss has real chance to make Oakland Raiders roster

Despite being an undrafted rookie, Oakland Raiders wide receiver Keelan Doss has a legitimate chance to make the 53-man roster to start the season.

One of my favorite undrafted free agent signings after the 2019 NFL Draft was the Oakland Raiders bringing in wide receiver Keelan Doss. It is never easy for an undrafted player to make the 53-man roster as a rookie, but with his talent and potential opportunity available, Doss has a real chance.

Doss starred for four years at UC-Davis, consistently causing problems against FCS competition. Throughout his time at UC-Davis, Doss piled up 321 receptions for 4,069 yards and 28 touchdowns. Simply put, this guy was absolutely dominant in college.

At 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, Doss has nice size and length for the position and he uses it well to put himself in position to catch the ball. He is also tremendous at the catch point and has a knack for coming down with the ball in traffic.

Doss is not the most explosive athlete, lacking ideal separation speed and quickness. That being said, he is an extremely smooth and efficient route runner who consistently finds space despite his lack of sudden athleticism. Simply put, he is an extremely smart player who knows how to get open against man and zone.

As far as his competition for a roster spot goes, Doss has a real opportunity to be an early playmaker for the Oakland Raiders. Oakland added significant talent at the wide receiver position this offseason, but they are not particularly deep.

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Barring injury, Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams will be the starters. After them, fifth-round rookie Hunter Renfrow is pretty close to a roster lock and speedster JJ Nelson will probably make it as well. Behind those four, the position is wide open.

Basically, this will come down to three players for one or possibly two spots, depending on if the Oakland Raiders decide to keep five or six receivers on the roster. Veteran Dwayne Harris may have the leg up because of his special teams value, but both Doss and second-year receiver Marcell Ateman will certainly be in the mix.

While the Raiders are certainly a talented bunch, they are not exactly expected to compete for a Super Bowl championship this season. For a team who is still looking for long-term talent to build around, Doss’ realistic upside going forward can be extremely valuable for this team.

Doss’ versatility increases his chances to make an impact as a rookie. He is probably best suited to be a big slot receiver at the next level, but he has shown the ability to compete on the outside as well. Regardless, his combination of fantastic on-field awareness, smooth route running and sticky hands should allow him to shine in training camp and the preseason.

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As long as the increased level of competition does not give him too many issues, Doss has a great chance to beat out guys like Harris and Ateman for a spot on the Oakland Raiders’ roster.

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