Raiders’ Clive Walford ready to live up to expectations

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Clive Walford knows his teammates have big expectations for him this season. The Raiders’ tight end does as well.

Let him put it in terms of the University of Miami pipeline that he is a part of:

“I’m a mixture of all of them,” Walford said. “I have Kellen Winslow’s heart, Greg Olsen’s ability to block and to run routes, Jeremy Shockey’s ability to catch the ball and go over defenders and Jimmy Graham’s speed and ability to block guys out, coming from a basketball background like he did.”

Somebody get quarterback Derek Carr some smelling salts. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, too.

They both know that the play of Walford (6-foot-4, 258 pounds) will be key this season. His ability to attack defenses down the middle should take some of the pressure off receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Walford had 28 catches for 329 yards and three touchdowns in an injury-riddled rookie season and easily could double those numbers this season.

“He has a lot of ability, so we’re looking for him to be a big part of what we do,” Musgrave said.

Musgrave also mentioned how nice it would have been to have Walford available for the offseason workouts, but the tight end injured his knee in an ATV accident and needed surgery.

“I am still more comfortable (in the offense) than I was last season,” Walford said. “I just wish I didn’t go through that (accident), because then I would be light-years ahead of where I am right now.”

Still, he’s trying to make up for lost time.

Clive Walford (88) leaps into the black hole after scoring a touchdown in the first half as the Raiders played the Minnesota Vikings at O.co Coliseum in 2015. . Clive Walford (88) leaps into the black hole after scoring a touchdown in the first half as the Raiders played the Minnesota Vikings at O.co Coliseum in 2015. . Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Raiders’ Clive Walford ready to live up to expectations 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

“You’ll see him every day we come out to warm up, as soon as he comes out, he comes straight to me and wants to catch from me,” Carr said. “That’s the kind of things we need and that’s how he is.”

Head coach Jack Del Rio held Walford out of practice one day to give the knee a rest — something Walford said he appreciated.

“He’s always asking me how I am doing, if I need to pull back or go harder,” Walford said.

And almost every day since the accident, starting tight end Lee Smith, Walford’s mentor, has been checking to see how his protege is doing.

“Clive is close to 100 percent, and it’s going to be exciting what he’s going to do this year,” Smith said. “I’m just telling you … he gets it. When you come in as a rookie, you don’t get it. But he (now) understands how to work, how to push himself, what he needs to do to get better. He wants to be great.

“Nothing will make me happier than that kid being the best tight end in the league.”

That was the plan even before Walford decided to go to Miami and follow in some big shoulder pads.

“I always like to challenge myself,” Walford said. “I knew there were a lot of greats there before me, and I wanted my name to be remembered as one of the greats that went to that school.”

Olsen has stayed in touch, texting Walford when he’s not busy catching touchdown passes in Carolina.

The Raiders drafted Walford in the third round last year because they thought he could be the rare every-down tight end.

Kind of like Raymond Chester, the Raiders’ four-time Pro Bowler in the 1970s who was at practice last week.

“We’re still looking for the total guy,” Chester said. “That can catch, block and play in all situations. Clive has the credentials, the size and speed, to be as good as he wants to be.”

Joseph thrives: A day after he said he might not play in Friday’s preseason opener, rookie safety Karl Joseph went high Wednesday to snag an interception in front of Michael Crabtree in the end zone. His surgically repaired knee looked fine.

“He snagged it 10 feet in the air,” Carr said. “I’m good with that, especially if he makes plays like that for us. It makes me excited. I never want to turn the ball over, but I was extremely happy when he made that play because, if he’s not just a hitter and he can also make plays like that, it’s nothing but good for us.”

Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur