Raiders’ 2nd-round pick lives dream for himself, late brother

More than one dream came true Friday when the Raiders selected TCU wide receiver Jack Bech in the second round of the NFL draft.

And in many ways, the Raiders are getting far more than the physical style of football that Bech displayed last season while becoming only the fifth Horned Frog receiver to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in a season.

They are getting a player who carries the hopes and aspirations of two people: Himself and his late brother, Tiger, who was among 14 people killed in a terrorist attack early on New Year’s Day in New Orleans when a man sped a truck through the French Quarter.

Surveillance footage of the incident revealed that Tiger Bech saved a life that night by pushing a girl out of the way of the truck seconds before he was struck.

Jack Bech idolized Tiger, who was 6 years older than Jack and had forged the football path that Jack not only emulated but surpassed.

Tiger Bech played college football at Princeton, but it was his younger brother who broke through as the family star. He started his college career at LSU, a short drive from the Bech family home in Lafayette, Louisiana, then became a legitimate NFL prospect in two seasons at TCU.

Tragedy took Tiger from the Bech family. But when Jack got the call from the Raiders with the 58th overall pick, he said Tiger was on his mind.

“It wasn’t just my dream only,” Bech said of getting drafted. “It was my brother’s dream, too. Our dream came true tonight.”

Senior Bowl MVP

Bech, who caught 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns last season, projects as a starter alongside Jakobi Meyers. Raiders podcast

The 6-foot-1-inch, 214-pounder is the second offensive weapon the Raiders drafted in the first three rounds, joining first-round pick Ashton Jeanty.

Bech has been on the Raiders’ radar throughout the draft evaluation process, including at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where he caught the game-winning touchdown. He was named the game’s MVP after finishing with six catches for 68 yards and the touchdown. twitter.com

Bech wore Tiger’s No. 7 jersey during the Senior Bowl.

“This guy’s got it in his heart and soul,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said Friday. “He’s really something.”

Busy day

The selection of Bech completed a frenzied second round for the Raiders, who traded down twice in the round to pick up two extra third-round picks.

First, the Raiders agreed to a trade with the Dolphins to move down from the fifth pick in the round — No. 37 overall — to the 48th overall pick.

The Dolphins also sent the Raiders the 98th overall pick (third round) and the 135th overall pick (fourth round). They also gave up the 143rd overall pick (fifth round) in the deal.

A short while later, the Raiders swung a deal with the Texans by agreeing to move from the 48th overall pick to No. 58. The Texans sent the Raiders their third-round pick at No. 99 overall.

Raiders general manager John Spytek said the goal was to load up with as many picks as he could Friday.

“I think if you talked to a lot of people around the league, the value was in rounds two and three,” he said. “And for us to have as many bullets there was something that we were after.”

The Raiders began the third round by drafting Iowa State’s Darien Porter, a 6-3, 195-pound cornerback, at pick No. 68. Porter moved from wide receiver to cornerback in 2022 and did not start at his new position until last season.

Porter is still a work in progress, but he ran the third-fastest 40 at the NFL scouting combine at 4.3, and possesses the type of length and physicality that Carroll covets in cornerbacks. He has the potential to eventually earn a starting role.

The Raiders added Texas Tech offensive lineman Caleb Rogers at pick No. 98, and William &Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant at pick No. 99.

The 6-5 Rogers played primarily at right tackle in college but projects as a guard in the NFL. The 6-5 Grant started three seasons at left tackle at William &Mary.

Both probably will spend their rookie seasons as developmental players. Grant could be groomed as the heir apparent for Kolton Miller, who is sitting out organized team workouts while seeking a new deal. Miller is going into the final year of his contract.

The Raiders have six picks in rounds four through seven Saturday.

“We want to create as much competition as we can,” Carroll said. “That’s so important to this program, in particular as we get started. Our players that are here know that’s coming, and that’s a central theme of the program.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.