Raiders tight end Clive Walford, the team’s third-round pick, is seeing his opportunities increase lately and found the end zone for the first time Sunday with a 23-yard catch from Derek Carr.

Walford ran a wheel route from his tight end spot and a perfectly thrown pass helped him beat Chargers safety Jimmy Wilson for the touchdown.

“When he snapped the ball and I saw the way the defender played it, I felt like he was going to come to me, but I wasn’t sure so I just ran my route,” Walford said. “I looked back and saw the ball and I knew I just had to make a play on it.”

Walford is feeling more comfortable in the offense after missing most of training camp due to injuries and was thrilled to break through for his first score.

“Words can’t really explain it,” Walford said. “I was just so excited and so thrilled. I’m just happy I got it out of the way and hopefully I can multiply.”

He also made a 19-yard catch the play before Michael Crabtree scored from 25 yards out. Carr squeezed it into a tight window over the coverage of linebacker Donald Butler for the big pickup.

“I just trust him,” Carr said of the pass. “Should I have maybe thrown it to him there? Probably not. But I trusted him to make a play and he did.”