Raiders rookie watch: Michael Mayer opens eyes

A look at how Las Vegas’ draft class performed in Week 6

Let’s look at how the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie class performed in a 21-17 Week 6 home victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday as they prepare for a road game at the Chicago Bears.

Four of the team’s nine draft picks were inactive for the game. Sunday’s rookie inactives were fourth-round pick, quarterback Aidan O’Connell, fifth-round pick, safety Christopher Smith, sixth-round pick, linebacker Amari Burney and seventh-round pick, defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera.

O’Connell could make his second start at the Bears if starter Jimmy Garoppolo is out with a back injury.

Tyree Wilson:

Wilson continued to be pretty quiet. He just doesn’t show up on film much. The No. 7 overall pick did have two solo tackles and he now has seven tackles in six games, but the pressures aren’t there from the young pass-rusher.

The Raiders were expecting much more from their top pick.

Michael Mayer:

The second-round pick is turning it on. He had five catches for a team-high 75 yards against the Patriots and he showed off his ability to make things happen 35 yards after the catch, which made the Notre Dame product a top prospect. He has seven catches for 114 yards in the past two games after a slow start to the season. If Mayer can keep developing quickly, this will be a major boost for the offense this season.

Byron Young:

The third-round pick from Alabama had one solo tackle against the Patriots and now has four tackles in five games. He has played 26 percent of the defensive snaps and hasn’t shown up much.

Photo by Sam Morris/Getty Images

Tre Tucker:

The Raiders want to get Tucker’s speed involved in this offense and it worked Sunday. He had a huge 48-yard catch from quarterback Brian Hoyer in the third quarter against New England. He added another catch for nine yards and had one carry for four yards. The third-round pick from Cincinnati may not be a major part of the offense yet, hut there’s definitely a role for his skill set

Jakorian Bennett:

The fourth-round pick lost his starting role against the Patriots after he returned from being out Week 5 with an injury. He played some against the Patriots and his struggles continued. It will be interesting to see what his role is in Chicago.

Conclusion:

Mayer is getting exciting to watch and maybe we will see O’Connell against the Bears. Let’s see some overall progress from this class.