The Las Vegas Raiders have been the worst team in the NFL through 16 games, as they are riding a ten-game losing streak and are the league's only 2-14 team. The silver lining is that the team is only one more loss away from landing the top overall pick and controlling the 2026 NFL Draft.
It is widely assumed, and for good reason, that a quarterback would be the target, based on the production, or lack thereof, that they have gotten from the position in 2025. The rookie signal-callers would already have several key weapons in place in stars Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.
There would also be a pair of soon-to-be fourth-year pass catchers who figure to be intriguing options. While Michael Mayer has been buried behind Bowers, he proved that he needs to be utilized more in a Week 17 breakout.
Meanwhile, Tre Tucker had come back down to earth after a strong start to the season; however, he is showing signs of life again.
Tre Tucker has recovered from his midseason drop-off to end year strong
Tucker got off to a strong start to the season, recording 356 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 24 receptions in the first six games. This included a monster 8-catch, 145-yard, 3-touchdown outing in Week 3. He was on pace to finish with over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns on 68 catches.
His production fell off a cliff over the next eight games, however. He hauled in just 22 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown. While many expected his numbers to skyrocket after Jakboi Meyers was traded, Tucker recorded just 147 yards and one touchdown on 14 receptions in the next six games.
It appeared that he was not meant to be a featured receiver. He has, however, bounced back over the past two weeks. While he hasn't lit the world on fire, he has been producing, recording 92 receiving yards on nine receptions.
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His production over the small sample size of two games would put him on a 17-game pace of over 75 receptions and 750 yards, which is solid for a secondary or tertiary wideout in the NFL, which is what Tucker will likely be during his career.
Tucker will be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal in 2026, and while he has shown flashes of taking the next step, he has failed to consistently produce. The fact that he is finishing the season strong, however, is a welcome sign for Raider Nation.
While Las Vegas selected two wide receivers -- Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. -- in the 2025 NFL Draft, neither has proven that they are ready to be the franchise's top wideout in 2026. Instead, Tucker figures to be a pivotal piece of the Raiders' passing game, once again, next season.
If he can continue to play well, it would go a long way to helping whichever rookie quarterback the franchise hopefully lands.