Would the Raiders Trade Down in the Draft?

The Las Vegas Raiders could have the NFL world at their fingertips if they land the top selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; A Las Vegas Raiders logo at the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If the Las Vegas Raiders land the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, they could have the entire league at their disposal. 

General Manager Tom Telesco can do whatever he wants with the pick. He could trade down for even more assets than they already have (Las Vegas has 11 picks), or he could stay and select the best player in the class. 

Would Telesco consider the former? 

It would not make many Raiders fans happy, but if the Raiders land No. 1 and another quarterback-needy team wanted to trade up into their spot, Las Vegas could swing a massive deal. 

A team needing a quarterback could be willing to pay a hefty price to move up. Take the Carolina Panthers, for example. They traded the No. 9 overall selection in the 2023 Draft to the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick, along with two other high draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore. 

The Bears felt comfortable about their quarterback situation that year, so they sent the top pick to a team that wasn’t and got major assets back, including a star wide receiver.

The Raiders may not receive a haul like that, but teams still could be desperate for a quarterback, so the return could still be significant. 

It all depends on how the Raiders feel about their quarterback situation. While they will likely change up that room in some way, they could decide to address that position in some other way instead of through the draft. 

The Raiders could sign a free-agent quarterback like Sam Darnold, who has re-energized his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold has been a good bridge quarterback for the Vikings, while J.J. McCarthy is expected to eventually take over. 

Telesco could have Darnold do the same thing in Las Vegas while they wait a year for a quarterback in next year’s draft. If they do that, Texas star Arch Manning could be who they have their eyes on. 

If they do not select a quarterback with their first-round pick, what would the Raiders do with a potential trade-down? They could add a lockdown cornerback like Michigan’s Will Johnson or take a game-wrecking interior defensive lineman like Mason Graham, also a Wolverine. 

The Raiders have months to decide what to do in the offseason. The best part is that they will have options.

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