The Las Vegas Raiders were an absolute mess on offense last season under head coach Antonio Pierce and offensive coordinators Luke Getsy and Scott Turner. Sub-par quarterback play and the worst rushing attack in the NFL were the main reasons why the offense could not reliably move the ball or score in 2024, but there were a handful of other issues as well.
Center Andre James underperformed to begin the year and was eventually replaced by rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson, who slid over from guard. The team also needed another solid wide receiver next to Jakobi Meyers after Davante Adams was traded, but it seemed like nobody really stepped up for the Silver and Black.
New general manager John Spytek strengthened the interior offensive line recently with the signing of veteran guard Alex Cappa, but the team has made no major moves as far as adding a pass-catcher. They did sign Kyle Phillips, but he will likely hover between the active roster and the practice squad.
Tre Tucker should be the next man up for the Raiders at wide receiver. He'll enter year three of his career with plenty to prove, but recent statistics have indicated that he may not reach the level that Las Vegas needs him to be at.
Do the Raiders need an upgrade over Tre Tucker?
Tucker had a respectable sophomore campaign in 2024, catching 47 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns while only dropping two passes. He also added 44 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown as well. However, the advanced metrics would indicate that his previous season was worse than it appeared on the surface.
Warren Sharp from Sharp Football Analysis posted a list of the worst wide receivers in the NFL at getting open last year, and Tucker was second on the list behind Dallas' Jonathan Mingo. Star players like Deebo Samuel and Cooper Kupp were just slightly behind Tucker in this metric, so it does not necessarily mean that Tucker cannot be effective.
However, analyst Lindsay Rhodes also posted a series of statistics about Tucker's efficiency that raise some questions about his play. Only six wide receivers in the NFL ran over 500 routes last season and had less than 100 targets, and Tucker was one of them.
He ran 616 routes in 2024, which was the fourth-most in the league behind stars like Ja'Marr Chase, Jerry Jeudy and Garrett Wilson. But, he was only targeted on 13.1% of those routes, which was the second-lowest mark in the league. He tied with one other player for having the lowest receiving yards per route run in the NFL.
While poor quarterback play was certainly an issue for the Raiders last season, both Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers were able to put up 1,000 yard seasons. Perhaps Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew stared down their first read too often, which was never going to be Tucker, and that accounts for his inefficiency as a route runner.
Wide receivers are highly dependent on their quarterback, and until Tucker plays a full season with a competent player under center, it will be too early to pass judgement on him. He just turned 24 years old in early March, so he has plenty of time to grow in this league. Having a new quarterback should revive his career a bit and help him develop more confidence in the NFL.
If the team brings in a player like Tyler Lockett this offseason to serve as their third receiver, it could stunt Tucker's growth. However, this is the Pete Carroll-led Raiders, and everything will be a competition. The best players will play, and I wouldn't count out Tucker just yet.