The Las Vegas Raiders were difficult to watch at times last year, as they lost 13 games and finished with one of the worst records in the NFL. The playoffs were out of reach for the second half of the season and, as a result, many in Raider Nation began looking toward the NFL Draft.
While the team should have a plethora of great options when they are on the clock with the No. 6 pick, the draft unfolds differently every year. Sometimes you have to be aggressive and trade up, other times you stick and pick, and occasionally, you trade back and gain more capital if you don't love any of the options in front of you.
On Monday, ESPN's Bill Barnwell released a mock draft in which he projects a way for each team in the NFL to trade in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Raiders found a trade partner in the Chicago Bears, and the details surrounding the deal are intriguing.
Raiders couldn't turn down ESPN's draft-day trade idea
Barnwell believes that the following trade could occur because the Bears would want to move up in an attempt to snag their top prospect at left tackle. With this move, the Raiders could still draft the player that they wanted at No. 6, but they would also add a pivotal second-round pick to their arsenal.
With the top four players in the class, Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Abdul Carter, and Travis Hunter, almost certainly off the board at this point, the best player the Raiders could select would be Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
READ MORE: Pete Carroll gives an emphatic answer about Geno Smith's contract uncertainty
Taking Jeanty at No. 6 may be considered a reach in a deep running back class, but taking him at No. 10, where he may still be available, and adding another chance to grab a starter in the second round makes a ton of sense for a Las Vegas team that is rebuilding.
In the second round, the team can draft any number of starting-caliber wide receivers, cornerbacks, or defensive tackles, and perhaps a quarterback like Jaxson Dart or Jalen Milroe. Adding another second-round pick could give them the flexibility to trade back into the first round as well, which may turn out to be invaluable.
While no rumors have surfaced about a potential trade between these two franchises, Barnwell's line of reasoning is astute. Things are constantly happening behind the scenes between general managers that the public is not privy to, and if this deal comes to fruition, the Raiders should accept it if the top four players are all gone.