Despite having one of the weaker wide receiver rooms, the Las Vegas Raiders have one of the best scoring offenses in the NFL. Tre Tucker is emerging as a good deep threat, but the team could still use a true No. 1.

It’s going to be difficult to find a proven No. 1 at this point in the season, but the Raiders could take a risk on a player with potential. Brian Thomas Jr. was a Pro Bowl player as a rookie and looked like a future star for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the last two seasons haven’t gone well.

Considering the price for him could be low, Thomas would be a logical player for the Raiders to target. CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns listed 10 moves that “need” to happen before the trade deadline, and he thinks Thomas to the Raiders is one of them.

“Of all the high-upside wide receivers that figure to be available at the deadline, none have a greater delta between their ceiling and floor than Brian Thomas Jr. His 1,282-yard, 10-touchdown rookie campaign displayed All-Pro potential, but in the two years since, he slipped behind Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers in the pecking order for targets in Jacksonville. The time for the Jaguars to move on from him is now, before his stock drops any further,” Bahns wrote.

“The ideal fits for Thomas are either a team that would benefit from his price as he remains on a rookie contract or a team that would make him a long-term centerpiece if he rekindles his 2023 success. The Las Vegas Raiders fit the latter criteria. Their wide receiver depth is nonexistent, and there is no clear No. 1 weapon in the room. That needs to change by the time Fernando Mendoza takes over at quarterback, or else they risk stunting the top draft pick’s early-career development. It still feels early in the Raiders’ trajectory to begin buying, but after a surprisingly competitive first six weeks, it might already be time to spend.”

Kirk Cousins Praises Tucker

Adding a player like Thomas is appealing, but the Raiders may be apprehensive to trade draft picks if they don’t think they can make the playoffs this season. Tucker is in a contract year, so the team wants to see if he’s worth extending.

He hasn’t been consistent, but he dominated against the Bills, catching five passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

“[H]e just can roll,” Cousins said of Tucker. “I played with DeSean Jackson, I play with Aldrick Robinson, so I played with 4.2 guys; he can roll. And I came off the field, I said, ‘I think he’s faster than I realize he is.’ And there’s times where I just need to launch, and he’ll go get it. So, he showed me that again today.”

Tucker Leaning Into His Speed

Tucker is proving to be one of the fastest players in the NFL. He knows he’s not going to beat players with his size, so he’s using his speed to his advantage.

“When I look at me, I’m not 6-foot-4, so I feel like my asset, my God-given talent is speed,” Tucker said. “I have to be able to do those type of things, and obviously, Kirk trusts me. So, when the ball’s in the air, it’s mine or nobody’s. That’s kind of my mentality, and he put one up right there, and I just was able to make a play.”