After trading back twice in the second round Friday, the Las Vegas Raiders addressed their need at wide receiver by selecting TCU's Jack Bech with the No. 58 pick of the NFL draft.
The Raiders used their pick, which they received from the Houston Texans, to add Bech. Las Vegas also received the 99th overall pick in exchange for the 48th pick, which Houston used to take Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery.
Bech said his heart dropped when he got a call from the Raiders. For Bech, the past few months have been challenging after his brother, Tiger, was killed on Jan. 1 in the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Tiger was a receiver and kick returner at Princeton from 2017 to 2019. During a Zoom call with reporters, Bech said losing his brother has been the hardest thing he has ever dealt with.
"I don't have any words to describe this feeling," Bech said. "Making the NFL was not only my dream but my brother's dream, and tonight our dream came true."
Bech spent two seasons at LSU before transferring to TCU. After Bech was limited to eight games in 2023 due to injury, he had a breakout year in 2024. He became just the fifth player in TCU history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season. His 1,034 yards place fourth at TCU in a season, trailing only former first-round picks Josh Doctson (1,327, 2015), Quentin Johnston (1,069, 2022) and Jalen Reagor (1,061, 2018).
Bech, a 2024 second-team All-Big 12 selection and Biletniko Award Semifinalist, was named 2025 Senior Bowl MVP after catching the game-winning TD. He wore No. 7 that game in honor of his brother.
The Raiders used two of their five picks inside the top 100 to fill holes on offense. After Las Vegas drafted running back Ashton Jeanty in the first round, the organization added Bech to a thin wide receiver room. Outside of Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, there's a major drop in production at the position. Kyle Philips, the third wide receiver listed on the depth chart, last played in 2023.
Bech has the ability to play inside and out while making catches in traffic. His 17 contested catches in was tied for second in the Big 12 last season.
"I can go and create mismatches," he said. "I love working the middle of the field and on an island, beating [a defensive back] one-on-one."
