Raiders' Investment in Home-Grown Talent Paying Off

The Las Vegas Raiders banked on their own players taking a step forward in 2024. That appears to be a good call.

Las Vegas Raiders WR Tre Tucker / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

The Las Vegas Raiders entered the offseason with holes on their roster on offense and defense. 

The Raiders had to figure out who would be their third wide receiver and needed to explore acquiring a cornerback for depth, at least. 

The Raiders signed Michael Gallup to add depth at receiver, but Gallup retired a few weeks ago and never suited up in a game for the Silver and Black. They also selected two cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, but those corners will not likely start in their rookie seasons. 

Instead, Coach Antonio Pierce is banking on wide receiver Tre Tucker and cornerback Jack Jones to carry heavy loads and their respective positions. Tucker is expected to be a bigger part of the offense in 2024, while Jones leads the defensive back group. 

The Raiders could have brought in serious competitors to their position but instead showed faith in their young players. 

So far, that gamble appears to be paying off. 

Tucker has looked like one of the best players in the Raiders’ offense throughout the preseason. He has five catches for 139 yards through two preseason games. 

While Tucker is still thriving off of go-routes and beating corners one-on-one downfield, it has worked well for the Raiders. 

If he can continue to carry his good, confident play into the regular season, the Raiders will have three good receivers with varying skill sets catching passes from Gardner Minshew II.

While Jones is not necessarily a ‘home-grown’ Raider, he quickly adapted to the Raiders’ culture and became a defining member of it. 

Opposite Tucker, Jones has looked like the most confident Raider on defense. He has played with speed, energy, and confidence. He has eight tackles and an interception this preseason, picking up where he left off when he joined the Raiders midseason. 

The Raiders could have added a cornerback early in the draft but decided to let Jones emerge as a leader, banking on his play from the second half of the 2023 season to translate over the entire 2024 season. 

Pierce and the Raiders believe in the talent on their roster, and their home-grown players look to be major fixtures for the team in 2024.

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