Oakland Raiders: Assessing the probability of a few first-round options

Trading Back

There is a distinct possibility that the McKenzie and the Raiders could opt to trade back in the first round, and stockpile a few more picks. With a plethora of needs, having a few more picks at your disposal couldn’t hurt, right?

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

Both Rosen and Darnold expected to be gone before the Raiders are on the clock at ten, but there is a decent possibility that both Allen and Mayfield will still be on the board. Could a team in need of a quarterback like Miami (11), Arizona (15), or Buffalo (21), be in play to make a deal to move up for a shot at a quarterback?

Given what we know of him, trading back and collecting a few more picks is a very Reggie move. Especially if there’s nobody at ten he’s completely in love with. (he wouldn’t really take his son at ten, would he?)

What we don’t know is the amount of influence Gruden is going to have over what happens (or doesn’t happen) come Draft Day. If there’s a player he wants that McKenzie isn’t sold on, who wins that fight? It would stand to reason that with a ten-year deal in hand, Gruden is going to have all the leverage – but, you just never know.

Still, if there isn’t a player they’re not totally sold on and think they can bolster other areas of need with more draft picks – and they think they can still get the player they do want later in the first-round – it seems like it could be a relatively solid move.

Probability: Even Money