The New York Jets should look to this free agent wide receiver to boost their depth
The New York Jets finally have an electric offense now that Aaron Rodgers is healthy and under center. Breece Hall has proven to be an imposing force at running back, while Tyler Conklin has been one of the NFL’s most consistent tight ends over the last three seasons. At wide receiver, Garrett Wilson has proven he can ascend to superstar status.
However, the wide receiver group behind Wilson leaves a lot to be desired. Because of that, the Jets should look to take a swing at free agent receiver Hunter Renfrow.
Why Hunter Renfrow makes sense for the Jets
Let’s face it, everything that former Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels has touched in the NFL outside of his Patriots’ tenure has been horrific. So, while Renfrow’s production faltered under McDaniels over the last two seasons in Las Vegas, it’s hard to blame any players for underperforming in a McDaniels-led offense.
Despite Renfrow underperforming under McDaniels, there’s still reason to believe he can perform well if given the opportunity.
Renfrow broke out with the Raiders in 2021, finishing with 1,038 yards on 103 catches. “Third and Renfrow” proved to be one of the most reliable third down options in the NFL. From 2020 to 2021, the Clemson product had a 124.6 passer rating when targeted on third downs, which was good for fifth-best in the NFL over that span. On top of that, his 86.2 percent catch rate on third downs ranked first in the NFL.
Adding a receiver with prowess on “money downs” would create excellent opportunities within the Jets offense. That type of reliability would be something quarterback Aaron Rodgers would approve of, too.
Another benefit of adding Renfrow to the Jets receiving group is his ability to solidify the slot position. In his breakout season, 64.3 percent of Renfrow’s routes came out of the slot, which was 16th in the NFL.
The former Raiders wide receiver has proven his prowess as a route runner, and that has caught the eyes of multiple defenders, including All-Pro safety Derwin James, who heaped praise on Renfrow prior to the 2022 season.
Derwin James on Hunter Renfrow “He’s really like that,” when asked about comparing him to Tyreek…👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/mNbv0yQN4b
— Jake Estes (@dynasty_jake) August 23, 2022
With Xavier Gipson currently out for multiple weeks with a leg injury and Malachi Corley still having a “long way to go” as a route runner, it makes sense for the Jets to bring in an experienced slot weapon like Renfrow.
Considering the way his Raiders tenure ended, it’s unlikely Renfrow would fetch a large contract. However, there are some concerns as well.
Was it McDaniels, or was it something more?
To many, it seemed odd when the Renfrow went from a breakout year to playing sparingly upon McDaniels’ arrival in 2022. After all, the Clemson product seemed like an excellent fit for the former Patriots offensive coordinator’s scheme. However, that wasn’t the case.
After suffering a concussion in Week 2 of the 2022 season, it didn’t appear that Renfrow was the same player. Renfrow missed two games with the concussion, and later in the season, he missed five games with an oblique injury.
Renfrow’s decline was noticed by fans, and even Renfrow appeared to acknowledge his decreased level of play that season.
“I’ve always gone by two things of the way I measure my success in the season — not letting my teammates down and being the reason why we win games,” Renfrow said. “I feel like I didn’t do a very good job with either one of those last year, and that’s why I didn’t have the most fun.”
That underperformance, which may have been partially due to injury, didn’t seem to help his standing with McDaniels. The Raiders’ then-head coach sought after Jakobi Meyers to replace Renfrow in his system. After that, Renfrow was sparsely seen in the offensive gameplan. In 2023, Renfrow was targeted just 37 times over 17 games.
While that drop off in production shouldn’t be ignored, there’s enough circumstantial evidence to at least look the other way – especially in the case of the Jets, who should be all-in trying to secure a playoff berth in 2024.
The worst-case scenario is that Renfrow is no longer the same player he once was. However, there’s no reason why the Jets shouldn’t take a chance on the former 1,000-yard wideout. Considering the lack of assurances at the position, Renfrow could be a pleasant surprise in the wide receiver room, and perhaps help lead the charge into the playoffs.
