Raiders won't lose draft picks for COVID-19 violations

The Las Vegas Raiders will not be stripped of draft picks for violating the NFL's COVID-19 protocols during the 2020 season, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to Pro Football Talk.

Multiple reports during the season said that Vegas would be stripped of draft picks. The league reportedly fined the Raiders $500,000 and stripped them of their sixth-round pick for violating COVID-19 protocols several times. 

The NFL announced the official draft order on Friday, and the Raiders didn't lose their original picks. According to Smith, the Raiders appealed their punishment, which ended up being successful. 

Only two teams surrender selections in the upcoming draft. The New England Patriots lost a third-round pick for filming the Cincinnati Bengals sideline, and the Minnesota Vikings lost a seventh-round pick for a salary-cap violation. The New Orleans Saints will forfeit a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft for COVID violations.