Where did some former Raiders end up?
These players were Raiders at one point in their careers but have since moved on. They still rank among the best in the league and were drafted in this hypothetical as well:
Derek Carr – Jacksonville Jaguars (Round 2, Pick 48)
Carr is selected early because of his positional value and gets to lead the team that he lost to in his last game in Oakland. He would be throwing to former rival Tyreek Hill and current rival Chris Godwin. Sadly, and most importantly for Carr, he has no elite lineman in front of him, which means he will likely have a hard time finding those receivers.
Khalil Mack – New York Jets (Round 2, Pick 55)
Mack joins his former Chargers teammate Keenan Allen in New York. He gets to work alongside Kenny Clark on the defensive line but the offense is not as high-powered as others, so he and the defense may have their work cut out for them.
Amari Cooper – Indianapolis Colts (Round 3, Pick 82)
Cooper joins a Colts team that is littered with Raider-connected players. He will be catching passes from draft prospect Jayden Daniels, alongside current Raider Brock Bowers. Helping the offense from the backfield will be former Raiders star running back Josh Jacobs. This team has a solid defensive line but nothing behind it, so hopefully this Raider-esque offense can put up points.
Josh Jacobs – Indianapolis Colts (Round 4, Pick 114)
As mentioned, Jacobs joins a team full of Raider guys. He gets to run behind Braden Smith, which is exciting, but lots of pressure will be put on this offense to produce.
Denico Autry – Dallas Cowboys (Round 6, Pick 169)
It feels like forever ago that Autry was a Raider, but he is still in the league, and he has become one of the most reliable at his position. He joins a Cowboys defense with Roquan Smith and Jalen Ramsey, as well as a DL room with a young Jalen Carter. This defense should be dominant, although the offense has a few holes.
Rasul Douglas – Jacksonville Jaguars (Round 6, Pick 177)
Douglas spent little time with the Silver and Black but he is one of the biggest “what ifs” of recent memory. He lands with the Jaguars here, joining former Raider Derek Carr. He has Montez Sweat and C.J. Mosley to help anchor the defense with him, so this team could pan out well if the quarterback and offensive line situations were not so mediocre.
All in all, I enjoy hypotheticals like this because as I have discussed, these weeks of the NFL offseason drag on. Shortly, all fans will be provided with so much information that they can barely handle it, but for right now, all we have to cling to are projections and scenarios like these.