Could Raiders trade back in first round if WR target is gone?
Conventional wisdom has the Raiders selecting a wide receiver with the 12th pick in the NFL draft, most likely deciding between two or among all three of the consensus top prospects — Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Alabama’s Henry Ruggs.
But another scenario could be coming into focus which could prevent the Raiders from drafting their preferred wide receiver target at No 12.
Chances are, things work out favorably for the Raiders between the first and 11th pick and a wide receiver they are satisfied with is there for the taking. But with Jeudy and Lamb generating so much buzz and Ruggs not far behind, speculation is growing that someone behind the Raiders with an equally significant need at wide receiver will trade up in front of them to spoil the plan.
The San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos are both trade-up possibilities. Each is in need of a game-changing weapon at wide receiver. In addition, the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars, both of whom draft before the Raiders, are also candidates to draft a wide receiver.
If any of those scenarios were to occur, general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden would face a difficult decision. Do they opt to select the highest rated player on their board at No. 12 knowing good wide receivers can be had later in the draft? Or do they field trade offers to move back in the first round and accumulate more picks?
The latter becomes an inviting possibility given Mayock’s oft-articulated appreciation for picks that rest between 20 and 60. The Raiders have five of the first 91 picks, but none from 20 to 79. The trade-down option gives them a chance to secure one or two picks in that range.
What to do?
Stay put, draft best player
Keep in mind, if teams draft wide receivers in front of the Raiders, it means prospects projected to be in the top 10 are falling out of that range and into the Raiders’ lap.
Derek Brown, the massive defensive tackle from Auburn, and C.J. Henderson, the fast-rising cornerback from Florida, fall into that category. Both would fill big areas of need.
Henderson projects as a Day One starter. Alongside Trayvon Mullen, he would give the Raiders a young, dynamic cornerback tandem. Brown has a chance to be a decade-long anchor in the middle of the Raiders’ defense.
Depending on how the Raiders stack their wide receiver board, there is an argument to be made that either Brown or Henderson would be a better pick at No. 12 than whoever the Raiders rank as their third-best wide receiver prospect.
Look to trade back
The depth at wide receiver this year works in the Raiders’ favor, giving them the option of reeling in one beyond their 12th and 19th picks in the first round.
As a result, the Raiders could also look to trade out of the 12th or 19th spots — if not both — to accumulate more picks.
Even if the Raiders traded back, pushing their first two picks to the late teens and mid 20s range — and secured a second- and third-round pick as a result — they’d still be in position to add a wide receiver among a group consisting of LSU’s Justin Jefferson, Baylor’s Denzel Mims and Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk, as well as cornerbacks such as LSU’s Kristian Fulton, Clemson’s A.J. Terrell, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs and TCU’s Jeff Gladney.
Just as important, it would leave the Raiders with five picks between the second and third rounds heading into Day 2, which is just where Mayock and the Raiders would prefer to be.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter