The Las Vegas Raiders were aggressive in addressing the wide receiver position during the 2025 NFL Draft. Not only did they select TCU's Jack Bech in the second round, but they added Tennessee's Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Montana State's Tommy Mellott in Rounds 4 and 6.
Thornton certainly garnered the most attention during the offseason, as his combination of size and speed is not commonly found, even at the professional level. Mellott, however, had a hard time finding his footing in Las Vegas and is no longer with the franchise after being waived in late August.
That leaves Bech, who had an impressive college career for the Horned Frogs and the LSU Tigers. However, he has failed to distinguish himself thus far in his Raiders career, playing just four snaps in the season opener. But that all could change on Monday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jack Bech could play pivotal role in Week 2 for Raiders vs. Chargers
With star tight end Brock Bowers' status up in the air for the Week 2 AFC West bout, the Raiders will need someone else to step up on offense. While Michael Mayer, Jakobi Meyers, Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Tre Tucker all seem like more obvious candidates, Bech should have a great opportunity as well.
Given the Chargers' tendency to play high safeties and drop deep into a zone, this should allow Las Vegas to get more work done underneath. That is where Bech can make his money at the NFL level, as he is incredibly tough and played a lot of snaps in the slot in college.
Due to Los Angeles' deep zones likely preventing big plays, this may be a game where Thornton and Tre Tucker are not on the field together as much, trying to take the top off the defense. They'll have to establish the run and win underneath first before that opens up, and that is prime Bech territory.
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Bech also lined up as an inline tight end a fair amount in college, so he could theoretically ease the pressure off Bowers if he is limited in any way. He could be used as a toy by Chip Kelly to throw off opposing defenses, given his versatility in alignment.
In Week 1, Bech only played four offensive snaps, but he hauled in a crucial 23-yard catch to convert on third-and-long. It was a small sample size, but he also earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 84.8, which was the highest on the Raiders' offense.
It is only a matter of time until Bech breaks out and proves why he was a second-rounder in this year's draft. Monday's game has all the ingredients for Bech to thrive, so Raider Nation is hoping that he can show out in front of a national audience in a critical game.