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Preseason Profile: Juron Criner, WR

Juron Criner #84


College: Arizona
Height: 6'2½"
Weight: 224 lbs
Arm Length: 32.0"
Hand Size: 10.4"

 

40 Yard Dash: 4.68
3 Cone Drill: 7.15
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.30
Bench Press: 17 reps
Vertical Jump: 38"
Broad Jump: 117"

 

Juron Criner who was drafted in the 5th round by the Raiders this year has put an early stamp on this team as well. His draft projections were all over the place depending on who you asked because of one main factor, he doesn’t have great speed. Yes, you read that correctly, it’s truly a new era in Oakland.

While his speed obviously hurt his draft stock, many were surprised to see him fall all the way to the 5th round after getting some 2nd round grades based on his size, polished route running and soft hands. That was probably one of the main factors in the Raiders drafting him. He was very good value in the 5th round and has proven that early on in mini-camp and OTA’s.

Criner is in a very similar situation that Denarius Moore was in last year. He has the chance to come in without a lot of added pressure being a late round pick and work hard to earn the respect of players and coaches while showing what he can do on the field. That is exactly what he has done to this point, and it has not gone unnoticed by the coaches or the media.

Criner will be one of those guys pushing to earn his playing time in training camp. He has the ability to be a red zone target at 6’3″ and 220 lbs and has shown his ability to adjust when the ball is in the air and make great catches using his soft hands. His progression will be monitored closely, but he has the chance to make a very big contribution to the offense even in his first year if he continues to improve every day.

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