In the very competitive AFC West, the Las Vegas Raiders have put themselves in a situation where they could end up getting left in the dust if new coach Pete Carroll and neophyte GM John Spytek are unable to use the 2025 NFL Draft to turn this team into a winner.
Not only do the Raiders need to be mindful of landing a star who could help Carroll set the tone after the Antonio Pierce debacle, but they need to cross their fingers and hope that some of their division rivals screw things up to the point where Vegas can take advantage.
Raiders fans need to hope that they are finally the ones who come out of NFL Draft weekend with the best collection of new additions in the AFC West. Any one of these three scenarios could ruin Vegas' plans.
3 nightmare scenarios that would ruin Raiders' 2025 NFL Draft plans
3. Broncos or Chargers trade up for a WR
While the Raiders must figure out how to topple the Kansas City Chiefs at the top of this division, Las Vegas must first figure out how to overcome both Denver and Los Angeles first. Both of these teams are severely lacking at wide receiver, though that could change in this Draft.
Both of these teams could move up to select Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan if they crank the aggression up to maximum, but they could settle for some more reasonable targets in Texas' Matthew Golden or Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka. Both would make life even harder on Vegas.
2. Raiders don't draft a wide receiver on Day 1 or Day 2
Brock Bowers gives the Raiders a true No. 1 target in the passing game, and Jakobi Meyers could end up taking a star turn, but this team needs one or two more big names before they can call this unit an above-average group.
In a class that isn't regarded as overly deep once the big names start flying off the board, the Raiders can't bank on landing a starter in the later rounds. In a wide-open Chip Kelly offense, Las Vegas can't rely on holdovers from the last two failed eras to take on leadership roles.
1. Raiders pass on Ashton Jeanty, Chiefs take RB early
The only reason one may object to a Jeanty pick at No. 6 overall is to make a point in the still-raging running back value debate. As a prospect, he may be the best one in years. If they pass on him, however, it may be a bad look for Vegas to let Jeanty go while Kansas City takes advantage of a quality RB class.
With North Carolina's Omarion Hampton and a pair of two Ohio State standouts in TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins within striking distance for Kansas City at the end of the first round, the Raiders need to land someone who can keep pace with their red and gold Midwest rivals on the ground.