Over the last several months, we have discussed multiple different draft scenarios for the Raiders. From trading back from No.4 to potentially moving up to the No.1 pick, everything appears to be on the table for the Raiders in this draft.
However, there is one move that we haven’t discussed yet here at the Raiders Wire; trading up from pick No.24 or No.27 to acquire another top-10 selection.
With the Raiders having three first round picks and pick No.35, the team has a ton of draft capital to move around. In fact, no other team in the league has nearly the amount of draft capital as the Raiders. That means they can be the most aggressive team in the league when searching for talent.
Imagine for a minute a scenario in which Oakland decided they wanted to come away with top elite defenders inside of the top-10? Would that be even possible? What would a potential haul like that consist of? Using the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart, here is the value (points) of each pick for the Raiders inside of the top-35:
No. 4 – 1,800 points
No. 24 – 740 points
No. 27 – 680 points
No. 35 – 550 points
In order to secure a top-10 pick, the Raiders would need to give up at least 1,300 points. Let’s take a look at the approximate value of each pick after the top-five selections:
06. NYG – 1,600 points
07. JAX – 1,500 points
08. DET – 1,400 points
09. BUF – 1,350 points
10. DEN – 1,300 points
Finally, let’s take a quick look at two different trade scenarios the Raiders could do with picks No.24, No.27, and No.35:
1. Picks No.24 and No.27 (1,420 points) = Pick No.8 – Detroit (1,420)
2. Picks No.24 and No.35 (1,290) = Pick No.10 – Denver (1,300)
What type of player would have to fall between picks No.8 and No.10 for the Raiders to consider trading up? What if Oakland grabbed edge rusher Josh Allen at No.4 and Ed Oliver fell to pick No.10? Oakland could then have two of the best six players in the class and still have another first-round pick to use on another player of need.
What if linebacker Devin White fell to pick No.9? Would Oakland consider giving up both first rounders to get the best linebacker in the class? It feels a tad rich, but if they can grab two of the best five or six players in the class, it would be tough to argue with the end result of Qunnine Williams/Josh Allen and Devin White.
It’s highly unlikely that the Raiders will pursue such a move. However, this scenario could play out if someone starts to fall down the board or if a team panics and wants to get out of the top-10. With how aggressive Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden have proven to be, nothing is off the table.
