According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Raiders are strong candidates to take Ashton Jeanty or an offensive lineman with the no. 6 pick in the draft.
But it sounds like the decision makers in Las Vegas are also kicking around the idea of trading up in the first round.
“The Jaguars and Raiders have expressed interest in moving up, I’m told, if the player they want is available,” Russini reported on Wednesday. “The Raiders, led by first-time general manager John Spytek, spent substantial time doing homework on Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, but strong cases are being made in their draft room to go offensive line instead.”
Russini didn’t say who the Raiders might be targeting with a trade, but there are three prospects generally considered to be the premier players in this year’s draft: Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter.
Ward has essentially been locked in to Tennessee for weeks, so Hunter and/or Carter probably make the most sense to be the target(s) GM John Spytek has been calling about.
It’s interesting that Russini said the Jaguars have also been trying to trade up from the fifth pick because multiple reports have suggested they are set on taking an offensive player with their first-round pick. The only offensive players projected to not get to the no. 5 pick are Ward, Hunter and LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell.
Assuming the Jaguars aren’t looking for a quarterback, Hunter would make sense as a player Jacksonville would view as an elite offensive weapon. The Raiders probably fall into that category, too, as they have major needs at wide receiver and cornerback.
It’s hard to hear these trade rumors, though, and not think about one of the hot conversations around the end the of the regular season.
Is it wrong to root against your favorite team in December in hopes of gaining a better draft pick?
There are strong opinions on both sides, but here’s an interesting draft detail from the 2024 season…
According to Tankathon, if the Raiders had not beaten the Cleveland Browns in week 4, the no. 6 pick in this year’s draft would belong to the Browns, and the Raiders would be sitting on the second pick with their choice of any player in the field not named Cam Ward.
x: @raidersbeat
When Spytec excepted the GM job from the Raiders, he understood the assignment from owner Mark Davis. ‘I want Shedeur Sanders to be the Raiders QB. Make it happen’ Geno Smith does not have long term deal for a reason. The Raiders can easily get out of the deal after next season. The majority of his guaranteed money is front loaded onto this coming season. Read the tea leaves 🧐