Raiders Rookie Receives High Praise

"Had to include Bech, a receiver on which I had a first-round grade. But it's not just because of that. The Raiders have 174 "available" targets based on the club's 2024 figures, and boast significantly more quarterback stability now with Geno Smith than the woeful Gardner Minshew-Aidan O'Connell tandem from a season ago," Trapasso said.

"The Raiders do have prodigious tight end talent, Brock Bowers, who went bonkers as a rookie with a rookie record 112 receptions. While I expect him to continue to be the focal point of the offense, I won't be stunned if that catch number regresses in his second season, and Davante Adams is long gone."

Trapasso noted that the addition of Chip Kelly should help Bech excel, even with Jeanty likely getting a fair share of the offensive touches.

"Ashton Jeanty will anchor what will likely be a much-improved run game that will have more emphasis than in recent years because of the Chip Kelly hire, but it's not as if Smith will never throw the football," Trapasso said.

"Bech has as well-rounded of a game as any receiver in the rookie class. I mean that. Beyond blazing speed, he can do it all. And he will showcase that veteran-like polish for the Raiders early and often in 2025."

Following rookie minicamp, Bech noted which of the wide recivers from around the league he has studied. He named some of the best and most well-respected players in the league.

"There's definitely a few. I definitely like breaking down the guys like Puka [Nacua], just how he uses his body to get open. He doesn't dance around a whole lot; he attacks the leverage of the body, maybe gives him a one-two or something like that. But he uses big, physical presence, his physical ability to get open," Bech said.

"And the different guys like [Cooper] Kupp, just the way he understands the game, the nuance of the game, which is something I'm always going to strive to get better at each and every day for my whole career.

"Then, just different guys who run routes, some of the best route runners in the league, people like Amari Cooper and Justin Jefferson. And Coach Chris Beatty does a great job about that, showing you a bunch of people's games. So, you can kind of just pick from people and take what you like, kind of just mimic their game a little bit." 

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