The Las Vegas Raiders' passing game was a two-man show last season, as tight end Brock Bowers had a historic rookie season and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers had another solid campaign. No one else even had 50 receptions, and only one other pass catcher, Tre Tucker, topped 500 yards.
So, wide receiver was easily on the draft radar, and the Raiders attacked it three-fold with Jack Bech in the second round, Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the fourth and Tommy Mellott in the sixth. Bech and Thornton are in line for notable roles right out of the gate, while Mellott is making the transition to wide receiver after playing quarterback at Montana State.
The template for second-round pick rookie contracts was altered by the Houston Texans, who gave Jayden Higgins a full guaranteed deal. A stalemate was then created with every second-rounder after him, but, thankfully, the floodgates opened, and the Raiders got Bech signed on the day that the rookies reported to training camp.
Jack Bech draws heady praise from former star WR
Bech put himself fully on the NFL radar with a breakout campaign at TCU last season. He recorded 62 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns on his way to earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors. But as a freshman in 2021, he had a team-high 43 receptions on an LSU squad that had Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. and two other future NFL receivers in Kayshon Boutte and Trey Palmer.
Bech has quickly drawn some big praise since being drafted. Marc Ross of NFL.com called him the best wide receiver on the Raiders' roster and Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report comparedBech to Cooper Kupp.
Upon the news of Bech agreeing to terms with the Raiders on his rookie contract, former Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver Dez Bryant joined the bandwagon of praise with a strong endorsement.
He will be playing in the NFL for a long time. https://t.co/iwk3Sx2hFr
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) July 18, 2025
RELATED: This Raiders starter may have just lost his job before camp even begins
Bryant was a three-time Pro Bowler, a First-Team All-Pro and the NFL's Most Improved Player in 2012. His social media bio shows that he still makes his home, or at least his primary home, in Dallas. This is where he made his NFL hay with the Cowboys, and TCU is just a short drive away away in Fort Worth.
So it's plausible Bryant saw Bech play in person quite a bit last season, and maybe the two have forged a friendship.
In any case, Bech has clearly made an impression on the former Cowboys star, and Raider Nation is hoping that his simple prediction about Bech comes true.