How Tre Tucker's growth is a key advantage for the Raiders

May 26, 2026 at 11:30 AM

Raiders Columnist

Tre Tucker grew up wrestling.

He also ran track in high school and, obviously, he played football good enough to earn a scholarship from Cincinnati and get selected in the third round of the NFL draft by the Raiders.

But when it comes to his position group in his team's most recent reimagining, the speedy-and-undersized-yet-physical pass catcher sees another sport peering through.

"The receiver room's kind of becoming like a basketball team," Tucker told me on the most recent episode of Upon Further Review. "You've got to have … your role.

"You've got a point guard, you've got your shooting guard, you've got all that. So, really, you want your best three out there and then you want them to complement each other."

Enter Tucker as a modern, albeit, gridiron combo of Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Pat Riley, Red Auerbach and Becky Hammon.

"If I was a coach, I would want my best three [receivers] out there and I want all different skillsets, you know, because it kind of gives you flexibility to do what you want," Tucker continued. "But, we've just got to all do our job. We've got to execute and when the ball's thrown to us - catch, block - good things will happen."

So is the 5-foot-8, 182-pound Tucker running the point on a fast break, or filling up the basket as a three-point bomber from the outside, figuratively speaking?

Tucker paused.

"Wherever they need me," he chuckled. "I just say, Wherever they need me.

"So, we'll see."

Ever the team player, Tucker has also assumed another role, another title.

For all intents and purposes, as the Raiders enter Week 2 of OTAs, Tucker is WR1.

And why not? He led the Raiders with 696 receiving yards last season and had five touchdown catches. And, while the Raiders did add Jailon Nailor and Dareke Young in free agency and used a sixth-round draft pick on Malik Benson, the only other returners to the WR room with more than four career starts are second-year guys Jack Bech (20 catches for 224 yards in 16 games, five starts) and Dont'e Thornton (10-135 in 15 games, eight starts).

Much to the consternation of fans, the Raiders did not necessarily address the need for the prototypical "X" receiver on the outside this spring.

And yet…

New coach Klint Kubiak was intrigued enough by Tucker's skillset that he name-dropped him several times, unprompted, this offseason.

So I asked him specifically about Tucker.

"He can run all day," Kubiak said. "He's a quiet leader, a guy that we're going to put in a leadership role. He's got to be a playmaker for us, and he has been. And now let's go see what else we can get out of him."

So does Tucker remind Kubiak of another player he coached previously?

A slight smile crossed Kubiak's face, no doubt thinking about Tucker's 4.37-second 40-time at his pro day.

"Yes," he said. "Sometimes that's not fair to say out loud, but when you've got a guy that's that size and that competitive and works that hard, there's not a whole lot of humans on the planet that can put as many yards on the field at that high of a speed.

"So he's been really impressive."

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And therein lies the rub.

Tucker is entering his fourth NFL season…with his fourth different NFL coach.

From the guy who drafted him in Josh McDaniels to Antonio Pierce to Pete Carroll to Kubiak.

Different coaches. Different mindsets. Different philosophies.

Tucker exhaled.

"At the end of the day, you don't want that," Tucker said. "You wish to have the same head coach all four years but, you know, that's the nature of the business. I think the best thing you can do is just be a pro and be able to adapt."

And therein lies the potential for growth for a purported WR1

"It's obviously going to be new schemes, new changes, and I think the great ones, the ones who last so long, they're able to adapt … and keep going and adjust to all the new changes," he said.

"The hidden thing that people don't realize is you get to learn. You learn ball. I've been in a bunch of different schemes, but I've learned different things in each scheme … the whys. I've been blessed to be able to have different schemes and learn different ways how to play football and each one has impacted me in a way and I've taken something from it."

Throw in the fact that Tucker is also breaking in a pair of new quarterbacks in 15th-year vet Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza and, well…

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm a huge fan of Kirk Cousins," Tucker said, adding that he watched his star turns on the Netflix series "Quarterback."

"Seeing him in person, he's probably top 3 funniest on the team. His demeanor, he's top 3 funniest. Like, every day Kirk does something and I'm just like, Oh my gosh … great personality, great human being and definitely excited we got him."

Yes, Tucker said Kirko Chainz and the Nandolorian "100%" nailed their "Step Brothers" appearance on the Raiders’ schedule-release video.

"Those two personalities are great for each other," Tucker said.

And what of Mendoza?

"He's awesome, he's a tremendous rookie," Tucker said. "I'm very excited for him, he's gonna have a very bright future. The one thing that really impresses me, being the No. 1 overall pick, just so you know, his work ethic, his detail, attention to detail.

"I'm a football junkie, so I watch a lot of things on film. Sometimes I watch guys who aren't even in, just to see what they're doing, and he's always behind taking mental reps and that just shows that he's gonna be a great player one day and his future is very bright."

With his versatility and adaptability, you might say the same of Tucker, the wrestler-turned-track star-turned-WR1.

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Las Vegas Raiders tackle Kolton Miller (74) at an Organized Team Activity (OTA) at Intermountain Health Performance Center.