“A Lot of People Whispering” Raiders’ 3rd Round Pick Could Start

Could the Raiders end up plugging third-round pick Trey Zuhn into the starting lineup before the start of the season?

There has been some hype around Zuhn since he was drafted in April, and flagship radio host ‘JT the Brick’ added to the buzz on Thursday.

“Zuhn, there’s a lot of people whispering, whispering in hushed tones, that Trey Zuhn could start,” JT said on his Raider Nation Radio show.

“Someone told me that today, but not confident enough to get on the radio with it. They said, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he started this year.” I said, ‘Oh boy, that’d be interesting. He’s that good, huh? He’s that good?’ ‘Yeah.’ So we’ll see.”

Did the Raiders try to trade up for Zuhn in the draft?

It’s no secret the Raiders loved Zuhn going into the draft, but was he the player GM John Spytek was targeting in the third round?

Based on a draft video released by the Carolina Panthers, the Raiders made a call to the Panthers in the third round of the draft and tried to trade up from pick 91 to pick 83.

The Panthers turned down the Raiders’ offer (Kansas City was trying to trade up to pick 83, as well) and selected Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II.

Ultimately, Spytek didn’t move up from pick 91 and there are a few explanations to why it might have played out that way.

It’s possible the Panthers or someone else drafted the player Spytek wanted or maybe there wasn’t a team drafting after the Panthers that was interested in trading down.

It was reported shortly after the draft that the decision makers in Las Vegas liked Indiana running back Kaelon Black, who went to the 49ers one pick ahead of the Raiders, but listening to Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter, it sounds like Zuhn was the player Spytek was trying to move up to get.

“I told you that they liked Trey Zuhn,” Capenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast in June.

“[He was] the number one offensive linemen in the SEC, and one of the top offensive linemen in America. The Raiders craved him. Multiple teams craved him… and when he dropped, it was like Christmas. Let’s just say that in my opinion, the Raiders were considering even moving up to get him. Let’s just say that in Hondo’s opinion. The Raiders were even considering moving up to get them. Let’s leave it there… They don’t like Trey Zuhn. They love him.”

Whether Spytek considered trading up for Zuhn or not, there’s no question the personnel department in Las Vegas is high on Zuhn.

Zuhn might not be ready to start by September, but the team spent a Day 2 pick on him and he isn’t lacking for support in the building… and that probably means it’s only a matter of time.

x: @raidersbeat