Some teams may trade up in the 2020 NFL Draft to select the players they covet. The Las Vegas Raiders shouldn’t be one of them.
There are many prospects who posses the talent to boost a franchise such as Chase Young, Isaiah Simmons and Jeff Okudah. On the other hand, there is not a consensus regarding the second best signal-caller behind Joe Burrow. The short supply of defensive cornerstones and the uncertainty around the quarterback position might force teams to move up in the draft to choose the one player they want.
The Raiders have the twelfth overall pick in the draft, which will make it difficult for them to have a shot at selecting Young, Simmons or Okudah. By the the time they choose, they’ll be gone off the board unless they trade up to get any of them, an approach that goes against general manager Mike Mayock’s strategy last year.
Related: GM Mike Mayock emphasizes the importance of later rounds in the draft
Raiders should let the NFL draft come to them
In 2019, Mayock didn’t make any moves in the first round, but he traded down twice in the second round and again in the fourth. The only time the Raiders moved up last year was in the fifth. They exerted patience and didn’t seem to have reached throughout the process.
The Raiders should do the same this year and let the draft come to them. There will definitely be playmakers in the top 10, but the cost of moving up will probably be hefty. As talented as Okudah or Simmons are, are they worth two first rounders and a middle-round pick? The idea of Tua Tagovailoa falling off draft boards and head coach Jon Gruden drafting him has recently been floated around, but why should Las Vegas part ways with selections? The Raiders should keep their current draft slot and pick him if he’s still there and if they really want him. As far as we know, it could be nothing more than smoke.
What about the second round?
Also, the top of the first draft will be full of talent, but so will the middle, where the Raiders have two picks! They could take care of two needs such as cornerback or wide receiver or even trade down as the team doesn’t have a second rounder. Furthermore, if they want a quarterback, it’s likely most of them will still be available when the Silver and Black makes their picks.
The Raiders might need to pay premium to trade up in this year’s draft. For that reason they should refrain from doing it and if anything, they should be looking forward to getting extra picks.
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