The Las Vegas Raiders invested heavily in their offense this offseason. New general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll saw how inept the unit was last year in Las Vegas and made sure to find some surefire solutions ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
This started with the acquisition of quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in this year's draft. Spytek also added two bona fide wide receiver prospects in the middle rounds of the draft with TCU's Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. from Tennessee.
They also took a swing at Tommy Mellott, a quarterback from FCS Montana State who is transitioning to wide receiver in the NFL. While he was taken with the idea in mind that he would be a bit of a project, it seems like things are slow-moving for him through the first week of training camp.
Tommy Mellott being buried beneath other Raiders WRs at training camp
After initially impressing the coaching staff during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, things have been all quiet on Mellott's front in training camp. Unlike last year, the offense has looked good thus far in the preseason, so his lack of success cannot be blamed on an overall offensive struggle.
Bech and Thornton have both been praised heavily for their performances, as have veterans Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker. Even Alex Bachman caught a touchdown pass from Aidan O'Connell, but still, nothing has been reported about Mellott.
The pads came on for the first time on Monday, so there is still time for the rookie to impress the coaching staff in a more realistic football setting. However, it seems like the former Bobcat is already behind the 8-ball in Las Vegas.
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Fortunately, the team does not need Mellott to be good right away in order to have success. The Raiders have top-tier tight end Brock Bowers and a smattering of other solid offensive weapons, so the coaching staff can be patient and allow Mellott to learn the nuances of his new position.
He was also a sixth-round pick, so the expectation to be an immediate contributor is far lower than if the team used a Day 1 or Day 2 pick on him. Last year, Dylan Laube underwent a similar trajectory, and he is still fighting for relevancy in the Raiders' running back room this offseason.
Mellott still has all the talent and athleticism in the world to make an impact at the NFL level for the Las Vegas Raiders. It may take him a while to get there, however, as it seems like the rookie already has a tough road ahead of him in his first professional season.