The Las Vegas Raiders sent shockwaves around the NFL Draft community when they used a top-100 pick on Cincinnati star Tre Tucker. As an undersized and underutilized pass catcher, the Bearcat alum held a fifth-round grade on my Big Board. But early reports from training camp say that Vegas may have been right to take Tucker on Day 2.
Tre Tucker Enters A Stacked Group Of Pass Catchers With The Raiders
The receiver room in Sin City boasts an impressive assortment of talent. Davante Adams spearheads the unit, fresh off his third-straight first-team All-Pro appearance. Behind him is a guy who caught 103 passes in 2021, Hunter Renfrow. Free agent signing Jakobi Meyers rounds out the expected starting trio, giving the Raiders one of the better groups in the league.
But wait, there’s more! DeAndre Carter, Phillip Dorsett, and Keelan Cole occupy spots on the depth chart, and all three have more than 100 career receptions. It may not read as much, but that is some invaluable experience for the second unit. However, the best of the bunch is actually the team’s most recent rookie.
Tucker has flashed elite playmaking ability at Raiders training camp. His long track record of special team’s contributions in college have seemingly followed him to the league. Our friend Mike Dixon from Vegas Sports Today said as much last week.
Tre Tucker looking real good on punt return. SPEEDY (obviously) #RaiderNation | #Raiders
— Mike Dixon (@MikeDixon_VST) July 28, 2023
Even more promising is Tucker’s progress as a pass catcher. One of the biggest knocks on his resume entering the NFL Draft was a tendency to catch the ball with his body. However, in some clips from training camp, Tucker looks to have cleaned up this area of his game.
Tre Tucker is emerging into someone I think could make some noise this preseason. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/F8u6Cvs8Fw
— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) August 4, 2023
Another concern was his meager size. At 5-foot-9 and only 185 pounds, Tucker will not ‘wow’ anyone from a standstill position. But when he starts moving, that is when he is magical. Boasting 4.4 speed and otherworldly agility, Tucker is a bonafide home run hitter.
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As solid as Renfrow and Meyers are behind Adams, I would argue that neither one is in the same ballpark athletically as Tucker. He is shifty, explosive, and goes from 0 to 60 in a split second. Assuming all the finer details continue improving, such as footwork and route running, it would not be surprising to see the 22-year-old cement himself as WR4 in 2023.
At a press conference earlier in the week, head coach Josh McDaniels got asked about Tucker and what he brings to the offense. “Very, very mature guy. Very bright. His talent, I think everybody saw that coming out in the draft. But he’s a very good fit relative to our group. And he learns very quickly, and I think that’s a really good trait to have for a young player.”
McDaniels continued gushing about his new weapon, “Like every young player, he’ll make some mistakes. He’s still got a long way to go. But relative to the way he goes about his business. A mature, intelligent approach. I think he’s been great to work with; really excited about continuing that.”
Could Tre Tucker Seize A Primary Role As A Rookie?
Keep tabs on Tucker as training camp and the preseason progress. He should have an important role on special teams in 2023, and there is a real chance he logs significant snaps on offense as a rookie. Year 2 might be when Tucker fully breaks out, but his ascent has already begun.
*Top Photo: Official Raiders Website