The Raiders wanted to add speed to their offense this offseason and they certainly accomplished that with the selection of Tre Tucker. Tucker ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and he is lightning quick in and out of his breaks.
Tucker has been getting open with ease at camp, but it’s his overall consistency that needs some work. And that was on full display in the team’s Week 1 preseason game against the 49ers.
In a recent article by The Athletic, Tashan Reed wrote about Tucker’s performance from Week 1 of the preseason. Here is a snippet of what he had to say about the third-round pick from Cincinnati:
Tucker’s talent is clear. The rookie out of Cincinnati is fast and a smooth route runner. He can line up both inside and outside, has explosive athleticism and is elusive with the ball in his hands. That combination could make him a useful rotational receiver right away.
But Tucker has been plagued by drops since OTAs. His receiving has improved in training camp, but the preseason opener represented a setback.
Tucker had two drops on Sunday, one of which was on a third down that likely would have been converted if caught. It’s those types of plays that cause quarterbacks to look somewhere else in key situations.
But the good news is that Tucker did create a lot of separation in this game and did grab one pass for 15 yards in the first quarter. It’s clear that he has a lot of talent, but he just needs to be more consistent if he wants to have a bigger role in the offense this season.
