If there's a bone to be picked with the Las Vegas Raiders' 2026 draft right now, it's that a wide receiver wasn't brought into the fold until the sixth round. But the need there was not worth forcing in another deep class at the position, with ample depth already in place before Malik Benson was selected.
That said, now we can pivot to potential options if general manager John Spytek still wants to add a veteran wide receiver to the mix. Free agents signed at this point no longer impact the compensatory draft pick formula for next year, and there are some interesting options available.
Of course, any free agent who is still available after the draft has some kind of warts; it's just a matter of what warts you can deal with and which are non-negotiable. Over the coming months, trade possibilities to add a wide receiver could also be explored by Spytek.
No, not A.J. Brown, since his destination once a trade becomes palatable is already ordained, barring something unforeseen. And the Raiders don't need to derail Fernando Mendoza's development with a perpetually unhappy No. 1 wide receiver. But the Cleveland Browns' Jerry Jeudy could be an option.
Fantasy analyst offers Raiders a veteran WR who just might be a fit
On Monday's episode of Sirius XM's Fantasy Sports Radio's Fantasy Football Morning, Paul Kelly and Joe Dolan of Fantasy Points discussed the best and worst fantasy landing spots for the most notable incoming rookies after the 2026 draft.
They got to the Cleveland Browns, in light of them taking a wide receiver in both the first and the second round. This spurred an idea for Dolan.
"I think one of the things that would clear this (Browns wide receiver situation) up for us is if Jerry Jeudy gets traded," Dolan said. "I would love to see Jerry Jeudy get traded to a team that needs a wide receiver. I think the Raiders are a team that stands out to me, a team that didn't draft a wide receiver until late Day 3."
For whatever it's worth, after drafting KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, Browns' general manager Andrew Berry called Jeudy the "bellcow" of the team's wide receiver group. But something along that line would be exactly what a GM would say if they had just invited questions about a veteran's future.
Look up "recent first-round wide receiver underachievers," and Jeudy is prominent on the list. But it's also fair to say he has been subjected to some awful quarterback play over six NFL seasons (four with the Denver Broncos and two with the Browns).
Case in point: A stretch with Jameis Winston as the Browns' signal caller in 2024 spurred Jeudy to the best season of his career (90 catches for 1,229 yards). Imagine what he could do with a stable quarterback situation like the one the Raiders expect to have with Fernando Mendoza.
Jeudy would be a known quantity in a Raiders wide receiving room that lacks one. His production shortcomings thus far in his career can't be totally pinned on him, with deeper metrics to back that up.
And Jeudy can't cost too much, which is a good thing, because the Raiders can't afford to overpay. If the price is right, with Berry's words absolutely meaningless, Spytek should be willing to explore what it might take to get him.
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