There was a time where \u201cSpeed Kills\u201d was very much a Silver & Black thing.<\/p>\n
The launch codes provided by both Al Davis and Don Coryell meant the long-bomb aerial assault that bombarded the opposition into submission.<\/p>\n
As of late though, speed has killed in a different way: The Las Vegas Raiders offense faceplanting with the inability to take full advantage of the speedy wide receivers on the roster. Of course, there are several mitigating factors to this. From quarterback quality to the offensive line that\u2019s the lifeblood of any NFL offense and the development of the fleet-footed wideouts, the Raiders just haven\u2019t been able to take full advantage of Tre Tucker, Dont\u2019e Thornton Jr., or Shedrick Jackson.<\/p>\n
There have been fleeting moments of YOLO bombs. It\u2019s not like Las Vegas hasn\u2019t rolled the dice and gone deep. But what was once a Raiders tradition has been too few and far between. And with Klint Kubiak now as the Raiders head coach, one has to wonder if the impressive offensive mind can maximize the speedsters currently on the team\u2019s roster \u2014 and anyone else it adds this offseason?<\/p>\n
By The Numbers
Raiders Speed Receivers<\/p>\n
Tre Tucker: 24 years old, 4.40 40-yard dash time (NFL Combine), 57 catches, 696 yards, 5 touchdownsDont\u2019e Thornton Jr: 23, 4.30 (combine), 10 catches, 135 yards, 0 touchdownsShedrick Jackson: 26, 4.25 (Auburn Pro Day), 4 catches, 56 yards, 1 touchdown<\/p>\n
The easiest and most apparent example of Kubiak incorporating a burner in the passing attack is Rashid Shaheed. The Weber State wideout was at Kubiak\u2019s disposal both with the New Orleans Saints in 2024 and with the Seattle Seahawks in 2025, as the Super Bowl champs traded for the fleet-footed 6-foot, 180-pound undrafted free agent before the trade deadline this past year.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old hauled in 44 passes for 499 yards and two scores in the Saints and then 15 passes for 188 yards and no receiving touchdowns with the Seahawks after the trade. But come playoff time, we saw Kubiak dial up the deep bombs for Shaheed. And the wideout not only explosiveness to Kubiak\u2019s offense, but quite the energizing jolt to Seattle\u2019s special teams unit notching both a punt and kick return touchdowns.<\/p>\n
Shaheed is an unrestricted free agent heading into free agency in March, but he expressed interest in running it back with Seattle<\/a>.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s always a chance the Raiders could make a splash and land Shaheed, let\u2019s look at the current speedsters on Las Vegas roster: Namely Tucker.<\/p>\n The compactly, but well built, third-round pick (100th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft brings a versatile skillset in the manner of Shaheed as both speedy pass catcher and special teams dynamo. However, the Raiders coaching staff in the three seasons Tucker has been in the NFL hasn\u2019t exploited both \u2014 consistently.<\/p>\n The 5-foot-8 and 182-pounder from Cincinnati was an impact return man for the Bearcats but Las Vegas hasn\u2019t given him that role. Tucker did have the most productive season as a receiver this past year and showcased improved route running as he started all 17 games, drew 92 targets. And it\u2019ll be intriguing how Kubiak and special teams boss Joe DeCamillis deploys the 24-year-old wideout. Be it on short passes in space or the deep shots downfield, to punt and kick returns, maximizing Tucker\u2019s participate rate is ideal to see what the receiver can offer in the final year of his rookie contract.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the physical specimen that\u2019s Thornton.<\/p>\n At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds and 4.30 speed, the Tennessee product has unicorn traits. But he\u2019s a supremely unpolished prospect after being a fourth-round pick (108th overall) in the 2025 draft. As our Matt Holder noted, in his current form, Thornton is a bad match for Kubiak\u2019s offense<\/a>.<\/p>\n