Raiders focused on adding more wins, not draft: ‘We don’t do this to lose’
The Raiders’ win over the Jaguars on Sunday may have been great for morale, but it had severe ramifications for their draft positioning.
They entered Sunday in a virtual tie with the Giants for the top overall pick. The Raiders’ win against Jacksonville sent them tumbling down the draft board.
The team is projected to have the sixth overall pick as of Monday. That could put the Raiders on the outside looking in when it comes to the top two quarterbacks in April’s draft: Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Cam Ward of Miami.
But, as coach Antonio Pierce said Monday morning, his club is focused on one thing and one thing only. And it isn’t the draft.
“We don’t do this to lose. We don’t do this for anybody’s fantasy football team. Don’t do this for anybody’s draft projections,” Pierce said. “None of that (expletive) matters to us. What matters is winning, and that’s all we want to do.”
Pierce offered a terse “no comment” when asked about fans disappointed with the win.
The Raiders (3-12) entered Sunday on a 10-game losing streak. They hadn’t won a game in 80 days. They had no problem celebrating a hard-earned victory.
“It’s been a while. It’s been a long time,” running back Ameer Abdullah said. “I think it’s good for a lot of guys’ morale and belief in the process. We’ve come up short a lot, but we felt like we were disciplined and committed to the process throughout the week. I felt like we had a really good week of preparation, so for a lot of guys to be rewarded with the win, it feels good.”
Are QBs out of reach?
A lot can still change with the draft order with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The Raiders finish up by playing the Saints (5-10) on the road Sunday and then hosting the Chargers (9-6) at Allegiant Stadium either Jan. 4 or 5. Neither game will be easy.
The Raiders could still move back up, especially with the Titans (3-12) playing the Jaguars (3-12) on Sunday.
The team, even if it stays put, could also still try to trade up for Sanders or Ward.
The top three picks as things stand belong to the Giants (2-13), Patriots (3-12) and Jaguars. New York needs a quarterback and could take one of the two passers. But New England selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick in April, while Jacksonville signed Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million extension in June.
Those two teams could be open to receiving offers from the Raiders for their picks. It’s a far different situation than last year’s draft, when the teams with the top three picks were the quarterback-hungry Bears, Commanders and Patriots.
Chicago took Caleb Williams first overall, while Washington selected Jayden Daniels.
Strong day for safeties
The Raiders were dealt a huge blow in Week 3 when veteran safety Marcus Epps suffered a season-ending knee injury.
That setback at least led to some positive developments. Tre’von Moehrig, the starter opposite Epps, has blossomed as both a leader and a player. Isaiah Pola-Mao, who took Epps’ starting role, has also emerged as a solid contributor.
Pola-Mao had a team-high 11 tackles and two forced fumbles Sunday. Moehrig had six tackles and a pass breakup.
Moehrig, 25, is in the last year of his rookie deal after being drafted in the second round in 2021. He has 92 tackles this season, second-most on the Raiders behind Robert Spillane’s 134. Moehrig’s performance gives him a strong case for a new contract.
“He’s done a lot of positive things that don’t always show up on the film, you know, just from his communication, from being more vocal, from leading the room in that (defensive backs) room,” Pierce said. “We want to keep all these kinds of guys around, and he wants to be here, and he’s showing that he should be here.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.