When John Spytek took the Las Vegas Raiders' general manager gig, there was an understanding that it'd be a long road ahead to make the team competitive.
Although there was some hype generated by Pete Carroll's return to coaching in the NFL and the trade Spytek pulled off to reunite Carroll with quarterback Geno Smith, it was all for naught. Las Vegas' ballyhooed draft class also did very little in Year 1.
That Geno trade was the signature swap Spytek made to date, but as will be explained below, that deal and the other similar transactions made in Spytek's brief tenure have culminated in something beautiful.
Breaking down John Spytek's trades as Raiders GM, as all roads lead to No. 1 overall pick
Geno Smith looks like a flop, but it's more complicated than that...
See where we're going with this? Sure, the Seahawks robbed Spytek blind by acquiring a third-round pick that they then turned around and used to draft Alabama QB Jalen Milroe.
That extra third-rounder gave Seattle flexibility to trade its own pick in that round to move up for Nick Emmanwori. Turned out pretty well for the NFC's current No. 1 seed and Carroll's longtime former team to say the least.
RELATED: Raiders insider offers funny/sad idea about Geno Smith's inevitable departure
But the Geno trade was, with hindsight admittedly being 20/20, one of the most finesse, soft-tank jobs in modern NFL history. The Geno-Carroll reunion presented the illusion Las Vegas could be competitive. Sure, that'd be cool if it played out that way, but everything went oh so sideways.
Now? The Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick and the rights to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza if they so choose. Geno could stick around as a mentor, because no, ain't no chance he's getting a starting gig anywhere in 2026 after this past season.
Got something for Jakobi Meyers: 2026 fourth- and sixth-round picks. Well done.
I believe Travis Hunter was one of the best cornerback prospects of his generation. Why the Jacksonville Jaguars are so adamant about him making NFL history and playing both ways when he suffered a season-ending injury as a rookie is beyond my comprehension.
Whatever. You do you, Jacksonville. Point being, the Jags have so many quality wide receivers that it negates the need to deploy Hunter on that side of the ball as much.
Jacksonville's stacked room at the position has a lot to do with the trade young hotshot GM James Gladstone made with Spytek to score Jakobi Meyers before the deadline. Meyers has been a grand slam addition to the Jags by all accounts. He sounds like the Pied Piper of Duval County.
Why Jakobi Meyers Has Been Exactly What the Jaguars Needed https://t.co/3AhImKySKt
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) January 2, 2026
Meyers was in a contract year anyway, so Spytek did well to gain a couple draft picks in the exchange. Las Vegas has a couple rising sophomore wideouts waiting in the wings as is in Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr.
John Spytek took a flier on Kenny Pickett. That was not good.
Jakobi Meyers giveth, and Kenny Pickett taketh away. Those fourth- and sixth-round choices in the Meyers trade come in handy especially since Spytek somehow thought it was a good idea to send a fifth-rounder to Philly for Pickett.
Like come on, man. Don't you know not to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? The NFL equivalent of that colloquial phrase from Batman (1989) is engaging in trade talks with Eagles GM Howie Roseman. You're seldom going to emerge as the winner, Johnny Spizzy.
Pickett is further proof that the higher you're drafted as a QB, the more chances you get to extend your career. The 27-year-old's stat line from the 2025 campaign is as follows: 28-of-45 passing for 188 yards (4.2 YPA, lol), one TD, two INTs, and a 60.2 passer rating.
Woof.
Thomas Booker IV for Jakorian Bennett: A Battle of Mid
The rare player-for-player trade. Remember mere minutes ago when I said it's not a good idea to do business with Howie Roseman? Well, in this case, both sides emerged without much to show for it.
Booker is a solid interior pass rusher. Bennett once ran a 4.3-flat 40-yard dash at the Combine, but is legitimately one of the worst cornerbacks in the league. Philly is begging to find anyone who can be a complementary boundary corner to Quinyon Mitchell, and Bennett hasn't answered the bell.
We'll see if Booker can carve out a larger role in Vegas in the coming years. That is, if Spytek even keeps him on the roster. It'll depend on how the rest of free agency goes, as Booker is a restricted free agent.
Good thing for the Raiders that Booker didn't make much of a splash in 2025, though. Because, again, all roads led to the No. 1 overall pick! WOO!!