To say that optimism is at a boil inside the Raider Nation for the 2025 Las Vegas Raiders season would be a colossal understatement.
As the NFL released the 2025 schedule earlier this week, plans were being made, plane tickets were purchased, and the Silver and Black prepared for what many feel will be a resurgence of a franchise in desperate need of stability.
Good things are on the horizon under the leadership of new coach Pete Carroll, quarterback Geno Smith, a new General Manager in John Spytek, and Tom Brady's influence.
Our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast offers our way-too-early prediction for all 17 regular-season 2025 games.
You can watch the entire podcast below:
The Raiders were able to steal in the second round, WR Jack Bech.
Many in the NFL considered this talented player the toughest blocker at his position. The young man who only dropped one ball in 2024 will fit in nicely next to the Raiders' WR1, Jakobi Meyers, who dropped none.
Wide Receiver Jack Bech
Q: A couple weeks ago, you're celebrating being drafted in the NFL, and here we are practicing for the first time in the NFL. How surreal is that, and how comfortable are you feeling out here?
Bech: "Yeah man, super surreal. Since I was a little kid, my dream has always been to play in the NFL. So, to be able to come to the Raiders, Coach Pete Carroll, Coach Chip Kelly, Coach Chris Beatty, all these masterminds been in the game for so long, it's going to be a great opportunity. I'm ready to just keep diving in, keep learning, keep understanding more and more of the nuance of the game, and to just keep coming out here and getting better each and every day."
Q: Pete Carroll talks about throwing everybody into the fire, there's no hand holding at all. Do you like it like that?
Bech: "100%. I think it helps you grow. I kind of compare it to my freshman year at LSU, especially on a platform like that in the SEC whenever you just get thrown in the mix, you have to mature. You have to learn much quicker. So, same thing here. You don't have any time to just come out here and not know what you're doing, not play full speed. You've got to come out here sharp, conditioned. You have to understand the game; you have to understand the playbook. I think that only matures you and gets you better. So, I definitely like it."
Q: What do you see the role you can carve out for yourself this year and have you set goals in your mind for your rookie year?
Bech: "It's going to be whatever role the coaches need me to play. I'm here to play my role. I'm here to help the team win. It's a team-first mentality. Whatever I can do to help the team win, I'm going to do, so, whatever role that's carved out and the coaches want me to do, I'm going to do the best of my ability. Like I said, it's team first, and I just want to go out there and help my team with as many games as possible."
Q: What was your first impression of an NFL practice and playing under Pete Carroll?
Bech: "You've got to be conditioned. You've got to run, especially being a receiver, you have to be able to run all day. And I think obviously, conditioning on your own and football conditioning, it's a little different. But as you practice more and more, the better you get in football condition. So like I said, I'm just excited to keep coming out here and keep learning under one of the greatest coaches ever, and keep sharpening not only my physical skill set, but my mental skill set too."
Q: Are there any receivers you've kind of modeled your game after or studied?
Bech: "There's definitely a few. I definitely like breaking down the guys like Puka [Nacua] just how he uses his body to get open. He doesn't dance around a whole lot, he attacks the leverage of the body, maybe give him a one-two or something like that. But he uses big, physical presence, his physical ability to get open. And the different guys like [Cooper] Kupp, just the way he understands the game, the nuance of the game, which is something I'm always going to strive to get better at each and every day for my whole career. Then just different guys who run routes, some of the best route runners in the league, people like Amari Cooper and Justin Jefferson. And Coach Chris Beatty does a great job about that, showing you a bunch of people's games. So, you can kind of just pick from people and take what you like, kind of just mimic their game a little bit."
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