The Las Vegas Raiders made several necessary upgrades to their offense this offseason. Not only is the pairing of Geno Smith and Pete Carroll stronger than that of Antonio Pierce and Gardner Minshew, but offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is a highly respected playcaller.
Key pieces like Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers are back in the fold for the Silver and Black, and the team also added several intriguing offensive weapons during the 2025 NFL Draft. Running back Ashton Jeanty is the obvious star of the group, but the receiving corps was bolstered as well.
New general manager John Spytek drafted three wide receivers in this year's draft: Jack Bech, Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Tommy Mellott. After an awkward waiting period, Bech finally joined Thornton and Mellott by signing his rookie deal, which could be bad news for a returning Raiders wideout.
Raiders could replace Tre Tucker with Jack Bech in starting lineup
Third-year receiver Tre Tucker started 14 games for Las Vegas last season after the departure of Davante Adams. However, through his first two NFL campaigns, his production has not matched the third-round investment that the Raiders made on him in 2023.
Tucker could easily be replaced by Bech in the starting lineup this season if the rookie has a strong training camp and preseason. Not only was he brought in by the current regime, but he essentially lines up in the same spot that Tucker does.
Last season, according to Pro Football Focus, Tucker played 753 snaps out wide and 229 in the slot, while Bech played 512 snaps out wide and 160 in the slot. Obviously, these two are versatile pieces that can be moved around, but they essentially played the same splits between the slot and outside.
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Meyers also moved around quite a bit in the Raiders' offense last season, but if Bech is going to cut into someone's playing time, it will be Tucker's and not Meyers'. Bech caught 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns last year at TCU.
By contrast, Tucker has just 66 catches for 870 yards and five touchdowns in his NFL career. This is an apples-to-oranges comparison between the college ranks and the professional level, but it indicates that Bech may have the upside to out-produce Tucker right away.
In an ideal world, Tucker takes the third-year leap that Raider Nation knows that he is capable of, and Bech is ready to play right away, giving Smith and the offense an embarrassment of riches. However, with a strong training camp, Bech could beat out Tucker for a starting spot, even if both earn snaps.