Bech goes 2/25 in Week 2 dud vs. LAC

Bech scored a 15-yard touchdown, running a post route from the slot, on the Raiders’ first drive, bouncing off contact before running into the end zone. Bech’s day was largely quiet outside of that, although Kirk Cousins overthrew him on another post route, and the ball was picked off by a Dolphins safety. Bech remains a touchdown-dependent FLEX against the Chargers next week.

He punctuated his point by saying only, “still looking.” Kubiak’s ambiguous phrasing could suggest that the Raiders are seeking a wide receiver via trade, but it can also be read simply as an indictment of players like Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and Malik Benson. None of the three turned in a great game last night, while Tre Tucker was given the night off. Tucker makes for a boom-bust FLEX option in an underwhelming position group.

Both Nailor and WR Jack Bech played tonight while WR Tre Tucker took the night off. Bech failed to earn a target and played into the fifth drive. Nailor called it a night after the third drive. The Raiders’ top-three wide receivers appear to be Tucker, Nailor and Bech, in that order. Tucker might warrant matchup-based FLEX treatment in 12-team leagues.

Two of Bech’s three receptions came with Fernando Mendoza under center. Mendoza threaded the needle twice to get the ball to the second-year receiver, with his first target to Bech resulting in a nine-yard gain to convert a third-and-eight. Mendoza would later find Bech for a short six-yard touchdown pass to give the Raiders their second touchdown of the night. Bech spent a significant amount of time playing with the backups, and his 20 snaps led all Raiders receivers on Thursday. Bech looked solid in this one and could be in line for a more meaningful role after a disappointing rookie year that saw him catch 20 passes for 224 scoreless yards.

The depth chart placement is a tad curious because it suggests Benson ran ahead of either WR Tre Tucker or WR Jack Bech. Benson has been rotating in with the first-team offense for more than a week, so this isn’t groundbreaking news, but one wonders if he can use the opportunity to make a compelling case for a starting role in three-wide receiver sets.

The Raiders are reportedly rotating five different wide receivers through team drills, including Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, Jalen Nailor and Dont’e Thornton. Tucker is the most proven player of the bunch and should be expected to secure a starting role. Things are fluid beyond that. McFadden named Benson, a sixth-round rookie, his “biggest surprise” of spring practices. He reportedly fostered a strong connection with QB Fernando Mendoza. Given his draft capital, Benson is likely a long shot to earn a starting role, but he also possesses intriguing upside as a field stretcher. Don’t bank on a breakout, but keeping an eye on him this summer is worthwhile.

Smart move. The Raiders are widely expected to take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick and currently field an extremely thin wide receiver corps. The Raiders’ second draft pick is No. 36 overall, which could be used to draft a No. 1 wide receiver. Given Bonsignore’s “deep” comment, we expect them to take multiple players at the position. The team recently hosted Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion, who is currently viewed as a candidate to be drafted late in the first round or early in the second. Tre Tucker, 25, is the Raiders’ most proven wide receiver, though he caught just 57-of-90 targets for 696 yards and five touchdowns last year. Other penciled-in starters include WR Jack Bech, WR Dont’e Thornton and WR Jalen Nailor. All three failed to earn 50 or more targets last year.

Bech is back. Whether that means much for the Raiders’ Week 18 outlook remains to be seen. The underwhelming rookie will at least have a chance to put a good game on film for whichever coaching staff is there to review it in 2026, though. Bech is a low-floor FLEX this week.

Bech injured his back on Friday. Although the Raiders’ (2-13) season is lost, a Week 17 absence could be consequential for Bech down the road. This was an opportunity for the underwhelming rookie to put a positive performance on film. He produced career highs in targets (six), receptions (six) and receiving yards (50) in Week 14. Hopefully, he can get healthy enough to play in Week 18 against the Chiefs.

The Raiders’ second-round rookie has not had a good season. Bech has caught 20-of-26 targets for 224 scoreless yards, while averaging 1.27 yards per route run. Hopefully, Bech can return in time for Week 18, so he can put something decent on film before the team begins evaluating its pre-draft needs.