2018 Raiders Draft Prospect: WR Jake Wieneke

2018 Raiders Draft Prospect Profile

Name: Jake Wieneke

School/Position: South Dakota State/WR

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 215 pounds

Stats:

288 catches

5157 yards

17.9 yards per reception

59 TD

Hands: Usually, bigger receivers will use sloppy technique to secure the ball. Yet, Wieneke manages a quick stab, away from his body. Surprisingly, Wieneke brings an effective stiff-arm to ward off defenders taking angles. As a result of his hand skills, a five yard screen turns into a fifteen yard chunk play.

Speed: Although Wieneke is not a classic burner, he gains speed by using longer strides. The deeper the route, the faster he appears.

Tree: In essence, most of the route tree is open. Seeing a 6’4, wideout plant his foot into the ground  and execute a smooth slant bodes well for him at the next level. Similarly, Wieneke shows proficiency with the deep out, skinny post and go patterns.

Agility: As mentioned, longer receivers lack that quick twitch. Wieneke uses his body to open the throwing. As a result, he creates separation to catch the pass. Granted, off the line, he will not win with quicks, but he gives the quarterback enough of an area. In addition, Wieneke‘s height and ability to get vertical over smaller corners increases his value. Similarly, big receivers have trouble reaching for low throws. During the first play of the film, Wieneke goes to the ground to scoop an errant pass.

Intangibles: After finishing a distinguished career at South Daokta State, Wieneke hopes to make his mark in the NFL. Whether in subpackages or special teams, Wieneke will made a mark. If you watch his film versus TCU, you can see a player with the skills to ascend.

Interview

What are you strengths as a receiver? 

Competing every play and winning the mental part of the game. I use my body size to my advantage , with large catch radius, which will allow a quarterback to throw it to me with confidence.

How does an athlete from Maple Grove, MN fly under the radar of the Big 10?

I earned interest from the University of Minnesota, but decided to accept the offer from SDSU. I didn’t attend any evaluation camps, so my name wasn’t really out there outside of Minnesota.

In your years in Brookings,  you’ve accumulated surreal stats, critics will say that you are a system WR. Where do you set them straight?

I think that a receiver with good hands and a big body can play in any system. My accomplishments are not a  product of a system, but rather a contributor to help make the system. In addition, SDSU only produced one other NFL wide receiver with this system.

The Oakland Raiders have an accomplished QB in Derek Carr, a standout WR in Cooper, how would your skills fit in the offense?

Right now, they have a great mix with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. I can complement them and make teams pay if they choose to double on or the other. Moreover, I can help in the red zone by providing a big target for Derek Carr.

 Jon Gruden accepted the head coaching job. Being a sharp offensive mind, he values impact offensive rookies. What one aspect of your skill set will open his eyes?

Something that I think will open his eyes is my hard work and attention to detail. From preparation to things I do on and off the field, I am confident that would catch Coach Gruden’s attention.

Final Analysis: If you look at Jon Gruden’s days in Tampa, he preferred bigger receivers. Wieneke’s game resembles former Bucs’ wideout Joe Jurevicius. While Jurevicius did not obliterate stopwatch with blazing times, his size, hands, and ability to find soft spots made him a worthy target. In Oakland, Wieneke could provide the Raiders with the ability to throw jump balls in the red zone. Not to mention, Gruden will not have patience for the drops of Johnny Holton and Seth Roberts.