The Las Vegas Raiders drafted rookie wide receiver Tre Tucker in the third round out of the University of Cincinnati to add him to a position already viewed as a strength for the Silver and Black.
After a preseason that was filled with crucial drops and a rookie season in which the Raiders struggled to find a consistent role for him, Tucker's productive day against the Los Angeles Chargers added the much-needed explosive plays Las Vegas has been missing this season.
“It feels great," Tucker said. "Obviously, we scored zero points and lost 0-3 last week. That's a feeling you don't want to have. Luckily, it was a short week, so we were able to kind of turn things around fast and focus on our execution, which is what we did in this game.”
The rookie wide receiver scored the first two touchdowns of his professional career on Thursday against the Chargers. Tucker credits former Coach Josh McDaniels and Interim Coach Antonio Pierce for their patience and belief in him.
“I think it kind of started back when Josh [McDaniels] was here," Tucker said. "For me, he was a great coach. He pushed me really hard. He told me I was drafted high here for a reason, and I came to play. So, just understanding that my role is and what I make of it, those were his exact words: 'My role is what I make it.'
“I think we just respond to [Antonio Pierce] as well. He brings it every day. So, for us, like I said, what you saw on the field is a product of him.”
Tucker used his rocky preseason to help prepare him for his time whenever it arrived, but he still feels there is room for him to grow.
"Obviously, through training camp and preseason, I had a few ups and downs," Tucker said. "But each and every week, I've just gotten better, and that's a credit to obviously Tae [Davante Adams]. He’s like a big brother. EB [Edgar Bennett] and Kob [Jakobi Meyers] those guys push me to be better every day."
“I don’t even know at this point. I don't know. But I have to do a better job focusing on the ball. It's not that I don't trust myself, it's just sometimes, in those situations, you kind of get googly eyed. I kind of settled in, and obviously, the second it got called, I wanted to make sure I landed in because in the NFL, you have to have two feet down, and you cannot bobble the ball.”
Las Vegas has one of the deepest wide-receiver units in the National Football League. The rookie's ability to consistently produce could take Las Vegas' offense to the next level.
The Silver and Black will return to action versus their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Christmas Day in Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Don't miss it on Monday, December 25, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.
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