The Las Vegas Raiders were among the worst teams in the league last season but did not earn a top-five pick in this year's NFL Draft because of two meaningless wins at the end of the season. Their victories against the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints gave them the No. 6 pick, which does not feel like a sufficient reward for the agonizing season that the franchise and its fan base endured.
Many in Raider Nation accepted that the team needed to rebuild, and ending up near the top of the draft board to select a quarterback like Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders was the most surefire way to do so. Unfortunately, these two players were not likely to be available when the Raiders were on the clock with pick No. 6.
However, Sanders' stock began to drop rapidly in the offseason, and many experts theorized that he was now in play for Las Vegas again in the first round. However, the New York Giants have made a slew of signings in the last week that call that notion into question.
Giants signing Russell Wilson is bad news for Raiders draft hopes
The Giants had been signaling all offseason that they intended to draft either Ward or Sanders with the No. 3 pick in next month's draft. They added a cheap backup in Jameis Winston this offseason but let the bulk of free agency pass by before making their next move.
On Tuesday, the Giants signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson to a one-year deal worth up to $21 million, which is the kind of money you spend on a starting quarterback. New York would only make a move like this if they were certain that both Ward and Sanders would be gone by the time they are on the clock.
With Sanders now unlikely to fall to Las Vegas, the Raiders are looking at a situation where the top two quarterbacks and the top two positional talents - Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter - are likely to be off the board by the time they are on the clock. The consensus lately has been that Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is the likely choice for Las Vegas, but there is a chance that he gets taken at No. 5 by the Jaguars.
The options are not as exciting for most fans from here, as the best players available would be a handful of offensive and defensive linemen or a cornerback like Michigan's Will Johnson. New general manager John Spytek has proven this offseason that he intends to bolster the trenches of this team, which could mean Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou or Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham could be in play.
Las Vegas could still take their quarterback of the future in the middle rounds if they see upside in a player like Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart or Alabama's Jalen Milroe, but taking a quarterback in the first round to pair with Geno Smith is a pipe dream at this point. Jeanty is still the frontrunner for the Raiders just under a month away from the Draft, but this is the NFL, and things change quickly.