Raiders Exploring Trade Up In First Round

According to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed, the Raiders looked into how much it would cost them to trade up in the first round for a quarterback in April. 

The two add Las Vegas might not be moving all the way up into the top three for one of the consensus top three prospects — USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels — as the cost to do that from their current No. 13 slot would be exorbitant. 

Instead, the Raiders have explored a smaller move into the top ten, specifically the 5-7 range where the Chargers, Giants and Titans are picking. 

While one of the top three prospects may slide that far, a move like this would more likely than not seem to be for Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy at this stage. 

While McCarthy isn’t seen in quite the same light as the first three, the cost to trade up would be significantly less. 

Raiders GM Tom Telesco was asked about trading up for a passer at the Combine last week and said the team has to protect itself from uncertainty. 

“You have to weigh how bad you want the player and how much you’re giving up,” Telesco said. “It’s just a judgment decision. Part of that is we may think we know the player is going to hit, but we really don’t. You never 100 percent know.”

Las Vegas has last year’s fourth-round QB Aidan O’Connell on the roster, but most reports have indicated the Raiders seem to be leaning toward drafting someone they think has a higher ceiling.