Raiders draft Cincinnati WR Tre Tucker in third round of NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders make a move not many expected when they took this wide receiver in the third round.It's safe to say that nearly everyone knows they need defense, and yet they have only addressed that twice with their four picks, but both were the least of their needs on the defensive side of […]
The Las Vegas Raiders make a move not many expected when they took this wide receiver in the third round.
It's safe to say that nearly everyone knows they need defense, and yet they have only addressed that twice with their four picks, but both were the least of their needs on the defensive side of the ball. It's very surprising they have yet to take a cornerback.
But, they ended up staying put at pick 100 to take another weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo, as they drafted Cincinnati wide receiver Tre Tucker, as if they needed anymore.
Tucker is fast, and I mean very fast. He ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft Combine, which is the kind of speed the Raiders don't really have. They have guys that run great routes, win contested catches, and get open, but they don't really have guys that can just get behind the secondary because of their speed, not route running.
Tucker can do that, and he did that in Cincinnati. He finished his 2023 season with 680 yards on 63 receptions, and three touchdowns to go along with it. He played in 12 games for the Bear Cats last year. He worked exclusively in the slot.
Below is The Athletic's Dane Brugler's scouting report, as well:
A one-year starter at Cincinnati, Tucker worked exclusively out of the slot in former offensive coordinator Gino Guidugli’s spread RPO offense. His offensive snaps and production improved each season with career highs as a senior captain. A balanced athlete, Tucker displays the slick speed to control his throttle and uncover underneath. His lack of size and length forces quarterbacks to be pinpoint, and he must improve his route nuance to avoid crowded catch points. Overall, Tucker has the play speed and toughness over the middle to win as a gadget/slot, but his small catch radius is a potential roadblock that might limit his NFL role. His special teams impact as a returner and on coverages (15 special teams tackles in college) could be his saving grace to sticking on an NFL roster.
