The Raiders will Trade Down from Pick Four
The best part about draft picks, is that you can never have enough of them. As the Raiders look to their all important first round, they’ll likely be taking calls for fourth overall pick. While some have suggested that Oakland could actually trade up, moving slightly down the board while acquiring more picks could help solidify the team’s young core.
The 2019 NFL Draft is considered to be one of the weakest when it comes to quarterback in recent memory. However, no matter how weak the class, QB will always be the most important player on the field. Needy teams will always look for their next signal caller early in the draft.
This year, a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants or Washington Redskins are all possible candidates to move up for their QB. In the case of the Jags and Giants, the Raiders would be able to remain in the top 10 picks while acquiring valuable second/third round picks. With Washington, Oakland would be able to get a haul of enticing picks, but would have to sacrifice moving out of the top 10.
Overall, with the Raiders having so many holes to fill, moving down the board, still landing a top notch player while moving up the board in the later rounds makes the most sense. Various mock drafts have already discussed this possibility.
CBS Sports’ R.J. White recently had a mock draft in which the Raiders traded down with the Jaguars. The Jaguars landed quarterback Dwayne Haskins at four while the Raiders were able to snag EDGE Clelin Ferrell at seven. While this is just one example, the Raiders would be able to add more picks, likely in the top 100 while also adding an explosive player like Ferrell with their first pick. If teams fall in love with the QBs in this year’s draft, the Raiders should have ample opportunity to work their way down and up the draft board.
As for what the Raiders can receive, the Colts and Jets made a similar deal in the 2018 NFL Draft. Trading up from six to three, the Jets landed their future quarterback in Sam Darnold. By trading down three spots, the Colts snagged the sixth overall pick and three second rounders. They turned those picks into All-Pro Quenton Nelson, 13-game started Braden Smith and 13-game contributor Kemoko Turray. Indianapolis also has the Jets 2019 second round pick.
By trading down a few spots, the Raiders could obtain massive draft capital that could completely change their franchise around. Unless a player like Nick Bosa or Josh Allen falls to four, the Raiders will look to trade down, preferably with the Jags or Giants to gain even more early draft picks.
