The Las Vegas Raiders are having a very positive start to training camp. The team has stayed healthy, and the 2026 draft class looks solid.
However, wide receiver remains a somewhat big question mark. The Raiders didn’t do much to address the position outside of signing Jalien Nailor and using a sixth-round pick on Malik Benson.
Nailor has never been a No. 1 wide receiver, and Benson is a rookie, so they can’t expect too much. The real No. 1 wide receiver on the team could be a returning player. ESPN’s Dan Graziano revealed that the Raiders are high on Tre Tucker coming into this season.
“Wide receiver is a spot where the Raiders have a lot of questions. They don’t really have a true ‘X’ receiver and are looking for some players to step up in camp. They signed former Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor in free agency, and they think he has more to offer than he was able to show behind first-round picks Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. But 2023 third-round pick Tre Tucker is probably the player in the group the Raiders say can take the biggest step forward this season,” Graziano wrote.
“Second-year players Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. have been inconsistent in camp. Sixth-round rookie Malik Benson from Oregon has flashed and gotten a lot of outside attention for his performance, but he needs to show he can sustain his performance outside of a controlled practice environment. There is opportunity for everyone in this group, and the hierarchy has yet to sort itself out. I do think tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer will be on the field together a lot, but the Raiders are desperate for someone in the passing game to establish themselves as a threat so they don’t have to go to, say, Denver and worry about Pat Surtain II covering Bowers.”
Tucker Has Golden Opportunity
Tucker had a chance to be the Raiders’ WR1 last season after Jakobi Meyers got traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he didn’t put up huge numbers, he did accumulate a career-high 696 yards and five touchdowns.
Those numbers may have been better with solid quarterback play. This is going to be a huge year for Tucker. He’s on an expiring contract, and there isn’t much competition on the roster for targets.
If he has a 1,000-yard season, he’s going to be in for a big payday. The Raiders are confident in him. It’s up to him to take advantage of the opportunities in front of him.
Can Jack Bech Turn Things Around?
Another important note from Graziano’s report is that former second-round pick Jack Bech has been “inconsistent” in camp. That has to be concerning for the Raiders.
They used a valuable draft pick on him, but he was mostly invisible as a rookie. He’s never going to beat cornerbacks with his speed, so he needs to be an elite route runner and have good hands. If he can’t prove to do those two things well, he may not last very long with the team.
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