Raiders draft status and strategies after wild Week 17

The draft order has seen a massive shakeup with Week 17 nearly in the books.

The Las Vegas Raiders were one of the most significantly affected by the changes, defeating the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The victory has seen the Raiders continue their descent in the draft order, going from the first overall pick to eighth in the span of two weeks.

The Raiders were not the only bottom-feeder to pull out a surprising win, however. The New York Giants, who were battling the Raiders for the number one pick, exploded offensively for 45 points to upset the Indianapolis Colts. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who the Raiders defeated in Week 16, took down the Tennessee Titans.

According to CBS Sports, it is the first time since 2005 that three teams with three or fewer wins all won their games in the same week.

If the win over the Jaguars already threw the Raiders into uncertainty in terms of the draft, winning two games in a row has only further complicated matters.

With quarterback-needy teams like the Titans, Cleveland Browns and Giants still in front of them, the only way the Raiders can secure a top prospect like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward would be to trade up. The New England Patriots, who currently hold the first overall pick and drafted Drake Maye third overall in April, would possibly be open for business, but they could also use a player like Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter for their own ambitions.

Ultimately, the Raiders would likely have to overpay to move up in the draft order. For a team that is still in a deep rebuild, moving off of future assets does not sound like a good idea.

While the Raiders losing out on Sanders or Ward is a devastating blow to the fanbase, there is still a path for the team to have a successful draft.

In CBS Sports’ mock draft put up by Josh Edwards, the Raiders decide to stand pat with the eighth pick and select Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.

“Will Johnson may be the best player available when healthy and available,” Edwards said. “He is a (Denver Broncos cornerback) Patrick Surtain II-caliber cornerback prospect at his best. Las Vegas has struggled to find a boundary cornerback worth investing in for more than a decade.”

In terms of need, Johnson makes perfect sense for the Raiders at eight. Slot cornerback Nate Hobbs is a pending free agent, and injuries have pressed fourth-round rookie Decamerion Richardson into a starting role. It is widely expected that the Raiders will address the position earlier than Day 3 in 2025, and Johnson would be an ideal candidate.

Even more interesting is that the Raiders could still have an option at quarterback. While he has yet to declare for the 2025 draft, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has re-entered the discussion for the Raiders.

Currently the 27th consensus-ranked prospect according to NFL Draft Database, Milroe is the third-ranked quarterback on the board despite an up-and-down season for the Crimson Tide. While he is still raw as a pure passer, the arm talent and physical tools have been on full display numerous times throughout his collegiate career.

With his low ranking, teams higher up in the order may choose to focus on other positions first, opening the door for the Raiders to land Milroe later on. If the Raiders would rather be aggressive and move up for him, however, there is precedent for teams moving up to draft quarterbacks at the end of the first round.

In 2014, the Minnesota Vikings traded their second and fourth-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 32nd pick in the draft, using it to draft University of Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. An even more famous example took place in 2018, when the Eagles agreed to trade the 32nd pick to the Baltimore Ravens for their second-round picks in 2018 and 2019, as well a fourth-round pick swap; the pick was used to draft another University of Louisville product by the name of Lamar Jackson.

Just because the Raiders are out of the running right now for a top quarterback prospect does not close the door on a successful draft. The only thing that has changed is that it will take more effort from the front office.