One of the most surprising developments of the 2023 season for the Raiders has been the lack of usage from Hunter Renfrow. Though seven games, Renfrow has just eight receptions for 73 yards and no touchdowns.
Why has his role been reduced so much this season? A big reason why is due to the team’s third-round pick, Tre Tucker.
The Raiders wanted to add more speed to their offense this offseason and that is why they used a top-100 pick on Tucker. And after the first two months of the season, it’s not hard to see why the Raiders want to get him more involved on offense.
In a recent article by ESPN, they named each team’s young riser coming out of Week 7. For the Raiders, that was none other than Tucker. Here is what senior writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about the former Cincinnati Bobcat:
The rookie third-round draft pick has not only eaten away at former Pro Bowler Hunter Renfrow’s snaps from the slot, his speed has also made him a downfield target via the deep ball.
His 48-yard pickup against the Patriots in Week 6 is the Raiders’ longest offensive play of the season. And a deep shot from Brian Hoyer at Chicago resulted in a 46-yard pickup thanks to a pass interference penalty.
The expectation is that the Raiders will eventually move on from Renfrow, which should open up more snaps for Tucker. While he is still pretty raw as a receiver, his speed is needed in the offense. Look for the Raiders to continue to play him a ton over the final ten games to speed up his development.
