It happens almost yearly. Months of pre-draft evaluation have established a transparent top quarterback within the draft class who’s projected to be drafted with the No. 1 pick. After which the trade offers are available in.
This yr, the QB1 is Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who has long been considered a lock for the Raiders with the primary overall selection. That has not stopped teams from reaching out to Las Vegas about trading up, general manager John Spytek revealed on Tuesday.
“We’ve gotten just a few calls, and people teams know where they stand,” Spytek said (via ESPN’s Ryan McFadden), a sign that the Raiders haven’t any intention of moving their pick.
The Bears were willing to trade within the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, which resulted in a serious blockbuster with the Panthers, who drafted Bryce Young. Among the many picks sent to Chicago was Carolina’s 2024 first-rounder, which turned out to be the highest pick that yr. Again, the Bears fielded calls from teams who desired to move up for Caleb Williams, but they never looked as if it would consider one other trade down as an actual option. The Patriots, who were drafting third, also received interest of their pick with teams seeking to draft Drake Maye. Each teams stayed put and are likely thankful they did so.
The jury continues to be out on Tennessee resisting overtures for the No. 1 pick last yr and sticking with Cam Ward. The Giants, who were among the many teams who pursued Maye, sent multiple offers to the Titans all the best way up until draft day. Presumably, their haul would have been much like the Panthers’ package in 2023.
The Raiders should find a way to receive that type of value this yr, especially in a draft class with just one consensus first-round quarterback. Next yr’s draft offers a deeper crop of prospects to pick from, and trading the No. 1 pick would give them the ammunition to land a quarterback from that group.
But ultimately, a trade doesn’t make sense for the Raiders. Between their coaching change and roster upgrades, they’re positioned to have a significantly better season than their 3-14 2025 campaign, leading to a lower first-round pick. With multiple teams targeting quarterbacks within the 2027 draft, it could be difficult for Las Vegas to land its desired prospect. Other teams will not be willing to trade down, and even in the event that they are, the Raiders can have to outbid other suitors. That could be a far more complicated and unsure proposition than simply drafting Mendoza this yr and calling it a day.
Spytek suggested that Las Vegas is considering along the identical lines.
“If there’s a player that stands out that we feel it’s not price losing, it’s not price even picking up the phone, then we’ll just make the pick,” Spytek continued. “But when it’s a player that we’re not as enthusiastic about, or there’s a bunch of players that we might love to choose from, and we will get value for that, we’re actually open to listening to that.”