John Spytek has a reputation for loving draft picks. In fact, the Las Vegas Raiders' general manager has said so himself, acknowledging this offseason that it is indeed a rebuild. Stacking picks can be a big part of that. But the only way for the Raiders to get more picks would be to trade valuable players.
With a 3-3 record and a high likelihood of still being in contention by the time the Nov. 10 trade deadline rolls around, though, Las Vegas may actually be a buyer and not a seller for the first time in years, if they choose to make any decisions between now and before Week 10.
So, with that in mind, let's start scanning the market and see who could realistically be available and of interest to the Silver and Black. We'll include potential prices for these players, too, and evaluate what kind of role they could play for Klint Kubiak's team this year and potentially beyond.
5 players the Raiders could realistically call about at the trade deadline
Khalil Mack, DE, Los Angeles Chargers
How fun would this be?
Much of Raider Nation still has a bone to pick with Mack after the way he left back in 2018, but let us not forget that Jon Gruden was on a generational power trip upon retaking the reins in Oakland. And Mack still has some juice, even if he is on the back end of his career. It could be like Charles Woodson.
Las Vegas' pass rush is currently atrocious. Many of the issues have come from the interior, but Kwity Paye, despite his high sack total, is not a down-to-down difference-maker, and the jury is still out on Malcolm Koonce. Just imagine Mack and Maxx Crosby rushing alongside each other.
It would be Raiders fan ficition.
Potential cost: 6th-round pick
Prying Mack from a division rival would likely up this cost to more than a 6th, but a mid-Day 3 flyer is not a bad price to pay for a player of his caliber anyway, even if he is only around until the end of the season. Ideally, by that time, the future is clearer with Paye, Koonce and Keyron Crawford.
But Mack can hold this group up in the meantime and try to spark a playoff run until that all gets sorted out. And the Los Angeles Chargers have no reason to hold onto them, considering they are a lifeless 0-6 and don't have him under contract next season.
DeForest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts
Buckner has been perennially underrated throughout his career, but he is in the midst of another great campaign. In fact, in 2026, it seems like he is aging in reverse. He already has 4.0 sacks, matching his total from last year, and he's added eight QB hits and 26 tackles, including 4 for a loss.
He is still highly productive at this point in his tenure, and the Raiders need help on the defensive interior, badly, both with their run-stopping and pass-rushing. Buckner fits the description for both, and he's got familiarity with the Shanahan coaching tree from his days with the San Francisco 49ers.
For whatever that is worth as a defensive tackle.
Potential cost: 4th-round pick
Stick to the Model has Buckner's value at a third-round pick, but that seems awfully high if a team is going to take on a hefty portion of whatever remains from his $26.6 million cap hit. So, between that and his age, I'd put his value at a fourth-round pick, which would be a fine price to pay for Las Vegas.
Yaya Diaby, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This one is interesting.
Spytek was obviously integral in bringing Diaby to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Louisville, but his former boss, Jason Licht, isn't exactly flush with salary cap space in 2027. Diaby is in the final year of his deal, and with no extension in place, he's set to walk next offseason. Now is the time to deal him.
This is especially true because the Bucs are a dismal 1-5 and currently sit in last place in the NFC South. With a tight cap situation next offseason, they could look to get a pick for Diaby before they let him walk in free agency, hoping for a compensatory selection.
Potential cost: 3rd-round pick
A third-round pick is a high price to pay, especially because Diaby hasn't had the most spectacular start to the 2026 season. He hasn't recorded a sack yet and has been playing his lowest snap share since his rookie season. Maybe Spytek's old friend takes a discount or does him a solid.
Probably not, but Diaby could also be a solution to the Raiders' issues with consistently getting after the quarterback and stopping the run. He's much younger than Mack at just 27 years old, so he could be a long-term piece in Las Vegas, depending on how things shake out. That's worth more capital.
Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
We went into depth about why a Nelson trade could make sense for the Raiders. After all, Jackson Powers-Johnson's future in Las Vegas seems shaky, Spencer Burford has not been impressive at left guard, and Caleb Rogers is far from a proven commodity. An upgrade could surely be in order.
As is the case with Buckner, the Colts are in disarray. They just fired their longtime general manager and could have a fire sale. Players are talking in the locker room like they know they could be on the way out. Nelson, an experienced player with value in the final year of his deal, could be one of them.
Potential cost: 4th- or 5th-round pick
Folks may think that Nelson is worth a lot more than he actually is. Stick to the Model has his value as a fifth-round pick, and I agree. But with a potential bidding war on the horizon for him, it could cost up to a fourth, or at least a conditional fifth that turns into a fourth. For security up front, that's worth it.
George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Ah. Pickens.
Is it likely that Jerry Jones admits defeat this season and becomes a seller at the trade deadline? No. His hubris will have him overpaying for veterans to patch together another average Dallas Cowboys campaign, one that they are currently wasting in a brutally uncompetitive NFC East this year.
But if the landscape doesn't present Jones with anyone he wants to buy, he'll have to sell so that he can set off fireworks and keep the attention on America's Team. And if their 2-4 record gets worse, you know for a fact that teams will be calling about Pickens.
Given the Raiders' need for a true No. 1 wide receiver, Pickens would be an incredible add. Las Vegas would have to vet some potential character concerns with him and be ready to extend him beyond this season, but if Kubiak's team is ascending by Week 10, it just might be worth the plunge.
Potential cost: 1st-round pick
If Pickens is truly for sale, then it'll likely be a first-round pick as the starting price. Jones drives a hard bargain, and several teams will want him, so that always make things more interesting. But if Pickens can be his 2025 self in Las Vegas alongside his former Georgia teammate Brock Bowers?
He'd be worth that and more.
Honorable mentions: Brian Thomas Jr., Grover Stewart, Jerry Jeudy, Jauan Jennings
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