Who Should I Start? Jalen Nailor or Ricky Pearsall

Tuesday, June 16, 5:13 AM

While building an offense around the number one overall pick that would eventually become quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Las Vegas Raiders signed former Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor to a three-year, $35 million deal, and according to Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers, Nailor was precisely the player the team was targeting in free agency. In a disastrous 2025 season that saw primary receiver Jakobi Meyers dealt to the Jaguars and All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers miss five games and face limitations in several others, no Raiders player reached 700 receiving yards. Outside of Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, Nailor's most significant competition is likely to come from the 5'9", 185-pound Tre Tucker, who led the team with 90 targets while playing 17 games in 2025. While acknowledging the vast talent disparity, some around the organization believe Nailor will be asked to do many of the things Jaxon Smith-Njigba did during new head coach Klint Kubiak's time in Seattle. With a clear path to becoming the number one receiver in what could soon become a significantly improved offense, Nailor is potentially being slept on as RotoBaller's dynasty WR86 and could become one of the better values in the later rounds of 2026 dynasty startups.