For years, the Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders simply could not figure out how to field a competitive defense. The offense always held up its end of the bargain, but the defense typically figured out a way to spoil it.
The last few seasons, however, have seen a massive flipping of the script. In 2024, the Raiders' offense was so bad that they fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and a handful of position coaches after just nine games.
Getsy was unable to maximize the talent he had, which included promising wide receiver Tre Tucker. The 2023 third-round pick had an underwhelming rookie year, and even in the absence of Davante Adams, he failed to improve at the rate that Raider Nation expected him to in 2024.
Chip Kelly is already unlocking Tre Tucker's potential
While a portion of this blame falls squarely on the shoulders of Las Vegas' quarterbacks, Getsy also failed to put Tucker in positions to be successful. In fact, Tucker ran the fourth-most routes in the NFL last year but only mustered 539 receiving yards.
Thankfully, new head coach Pete Carroll brought in Chip Kelly as the team's new offensive coordinator, and the tide is already beginning to turn for the third-year receiver.
During the early part of OTAs, The Athletic's Tashan Reed reported that Tucker got behind the Raiders' defense on one play and caught a deep touchdown catch from Geno Smith. While Smith made a good enough throw, Reed said that it was an even better catch from Tucker.
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This was not just a flash in the pan, however. Raiders.com reporter Levi Edwards added that Tucker made several more impressive catches during Wednesday's OTAs. By the framing of the post, it seems like he and Jakobi Meyers are settling in as Smith's top two wide receiver targets.
None of this will matter, obviously, if Tucker cannot translate this success into a game. However, without Adams at training camp for the first time in his career, Tucker is seeing the higher echelon of Raiders cornerbacks, and he is still making plays.
Tucker has all the speed and talent in the world, and he may finally have a supporting cast to help him reach it. Between a better quarterback in Smith, a capable play-caller in Kelly, and a coach like Pete Carroll who can turn players' careers around, Tucker is set for a huge campaign in 2025.