As a new regime builds a roster how it'd like to, draft capital is great currency. The Las Vegas Raiders are there for the 2025 draft, with nine total picks highlighted by No. 6 overall.
Will the Raiders try to trade up from No. 6 if there's someone they really like? Will they stay put and take the best player available? There's a solid case to trade down if the top-five overall picks go a certain way, to add more picks and further stock the cupboard of young talent.
With the notable part of free agency over, we are in unabated mock draft season for the next month or so. Many mock drafts you see don't stray too far from a general cut-and-dry template, but there are a wide range of ideas to lean into for those who want to (trades, players that land earlier or later than the consensus, etc.). Mock draft simulators can open up unconsidered scenarios.
Mock draft from fantasy football analyst would be a draft fantasy for the Raiders
Mike Randle of FTN Fantasy did his latest 2025 mock draft the day before the New York Giants signed Russell Wilson and seemingly took themselves out of drafting a quarterback (Shedeur Sanders?) with the third overall pick. That said, it's not totally out of the question for the Giants to take a quarterback and No. 3 if, as an example, Sanders is available. Wilson and Jameis Winston are not long-term answers.
Randle's mock draft went like this with the first five picks.
- No. 1, Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)
- No. 2, Cleveland Browns: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
- No. 3, New York Giants: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
- No. 4, New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
- No. 5, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
A notable name remained available for the Raiders at No. 6 in Randle's mock, and indeed he had them taking him.
Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter.
"This is the quintessential Raiders selection. Hunter is an elite athlete who wants to play on both sides of the ball. Las Vegas adds a versatile and explosive chess piece for veteran quarterback Geno Smith."
The chance Hunter, who some would say is the best player in this draft regardless of what position he primarily ends up playing in the NFL, falls out of the top-five feels incredibly low. The Giants signing Wilson puts them in play to take him more than they might have been before.
The caption of this tweet is a stretch, but we have a visual of what Hunter would look like in Silver and Black.
After today, this may be way more likely at 6 than previously expected 👀 pic.twitter.com/KZqkAS7UZQ
— JT (@CondorSZN) March 25, 2025
Aggressively trading up to get Hunter, because that's what would have to be done to ensure getting him, feels like something Al Davis would do if he were still with us. In Randle's mock scenario the two-way college star would undeniably be the "best player available" if he was there at No. 6, and the Raiders are in line to take whoever fits that bill on their board after the dust settles on the top-five.