The only blemish on the Las Vegas Raiders' offseason is seemingly that John Spytek did not address the wide receiver position with enough force as the fanbase would have liked. But if we're tallying the last two offseasons, Spytek has invested three draft picks and $36 million into this year's room.
Of course, he drafted Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. in 2025 before taking Malik Benson in 2026. Spytek also forked out $35 million for Jalen Nailor and $1 million for Dareke Young on the open market. He's addressed it, perhaps just not with the authority or in the way that Raider Nation wants.
But Spytek is making a massive gamble on the development of the pieces that he's brought in. And if one asked Tre Tucker, the best wideout in the room and the only notable one who predates Spytek's tenure, Las Vegas' recent late-round investment may soon pay off in a big way.
Tre Tucker is very impressed with Las Vegas Raiders rookie WR Malik Benson
Earlier this week, Tucker sat down with Raiders.com reporter Paul Gutierrez for the latest installment of Upon Further Review. Not only does he believe in the wide receiver room as a whole, but he likes what he's seen from 2026 sixth-rounder Benson thus far.
"We just drafted a young rookie, Malik Benson, and we got a couple other young rookies. He's already doing really well," Tucker said.
After Thursday's OTA practice, Tucker formally met with Las Vegas reporters. During this media availability, he was asked about Benson again, and this time, the fourth-year wideout got to expand on his previous comments about the late-round rookie.
"He's going to be a really great player, man. He can run all day. He's fast. And the best thing about him is he's very coachable and willing to learn," Tucker explained. "He's another guy, like I said, my phone's always open. He's texting me. I remember, I get into bed very early. I'm getting old. So, he facetimed me and I was like, 'Hey man, I'm already in the bed.' But I was able to help him out with what he needed and that's all that matters. And like I said, he's going to be a great player. I'm very excited about him and just his willingness to learn, take coaching. He's going to be a great player."
Now, Tucker did concede that he's in bed by 8:30 p.m., which makes this story even funnier. But more importantly, it is good to know that Benson is impressing in the early going from both an on-field perspective and in terms of his approach to the game and learning its nuances.
If Benson is spending his evenings studying the playbook or watching film and using the resources at his disposal to improve himself, then he is already on the right trajectory. And if he's impressing Tucker, who is a lightning bolt himself, with his speed, Benson must really have the goods.
Benson proved that Tucker's comments weren't just lip service during Thursday's OTA practice, as, according to The Athletic's Sam Warren, he caught a deep ball down the sideline from Fernando Mendoza and impressed throughout practice, routinely getting open and making a few plays.
It is incredibly early in the offseason to be making calls about what kind of season someone will have or what kind of player someone will turn out to be. But as a fan, all one can really ask for is positive signs and small beacons of hope. Benson is certainly providing one in the early going.
Will it translate to regular season success? Who knows. It may take some time for him to get there. And Tucker did praise other wideouts like Bech, Thornton Jr. and Nailor during his recent interviews as well.
But if Raider Nation takes Tucker's word for it, and Benson maintains his same approach, then it shouldn't be too long before fans start hearing his name frequently on Sundays. And if you get that in the sixth round, that's a steal.
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