2022 NFL Draft: 3 possible draftees if the Raiders trade up

Three possible draftees if the Las Vegas Raiders trade up in the 2022 NFL draft.

Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn

After Las Vegas failed to bring in JC Jackson at the start of free agency, they turned their attention to Stephon Gilmore. Talks heated up between the two, but quickly died down, leaving no update since. Some claim the two have still been in contact, while other sources, including head coach Josh McDaniels, state there hasn’t been much happening between them.

Assuming nothing transpires with Gilmore and Las Vegas, McCreary is a perfect player for the Raiders to trade up for and grab. After all, McCreary plays what general manager Dave Ziegler refers to as a “premium position you can never have too many quality players at”.

The Auburn Tiger truly checks off all the boxes Las Vegas presents.

McCreary is versatile, as he can play both inside and outside. On Monday, head coach Josh McDaniels mentioned Nate Hobbs will have a chance to compete for outside snaps this upcoming season. McCreary would go hand and hand with that, as he can play the outside, then rotate with Hobbs and play inside.

With 6 turnovers over the last two seasons, he’s a playmaker. McCreary has no problem whatsoever getting his hands on the football, as shown by his 14 pass breakups.

Las Vegas targeted 2021’s no.1 man corner for a reason – Expect a lot of man coverage. This is McCreary’s bread and butter. He’s fine in zone, but he’s exceptional in man. He fits what the Raiders are doing, and how they want to do it.

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McCreary, a Bednarik award finalist, would be a great piece to an already improved Las Vegas secondary.