Raiders mock draft 1.0: A trade down early and a QB in the third round

New York Times

13-02-2025

The Las Vegas Raiders are oozing with positivity after hiring coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek last month, but they both know the roster needs a lot of work to be competitive in 2025.
They'll have no shortage of resources to put toward that this offseason. The 2025 NFL salary cap has yet to be determined, but the Raiders are projected to have over $85.7 million in cap space (according to Over the Cap). They have a number of starters set to hit free agency, but they should still have plenty of room to make significant outside additions. And new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's $6 million salary makes it clear Las Vegas' revamped ownership group won't be shy about throwing money around once free agency starts in March.
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The Raiders are set to enter April's draft with 10 draft picks. They own all seven of their own selections starting with pick No. 6. They also have the New York Jets' third-round pick from the Davante Adams trade and are expected to receive two compensatory sixth-round picks.
It remains unclear who'll have final say on the Raiders' roster moves — Carroll said he'll collaborate with Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady on decision-making, but someone has to have veto power. In The Athletic's first seven-round Raiders mock draft of the offseason, beat writers Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur handled it for them.
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We explored trading up for Shedeur Sanders, but we were unable to maneuver around the New York Giants, who pick third and had their sights set on the Colorado quarterback. That was a tough pill to swallow, but it got easier when the Dallas Cowboys called and offered picks Nos. 12 and 44 to move up to No. 6. We felt comfortable with several players still on the board, so we moved back and drafted Starks.
Starks has elite physical traits. He's 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, is as athletic as they come and has the speed to cover the entire field. He was a prolific player at Georgia whether he was lined up deep, as a box safety or as a slot defender. He was ranked 14th on The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler's latest big board and clocked in at No. 7 on The Athletic's latest consensus big board. Even if the Raiders re-sign free agent safety Tre'von Moehrig, he'll need a running mate. Carroll's first draft pick with the Seahawks in 2010 was All-Pro safety Earl Thomas, and he'd be looking to find another one here.
.@StarksMalaki took flight 🛫#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/b91KadVXw2
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 31, 2024
The Raiders were easily the worst rushing team in the NFL last season. Much of that had to do with blocking issues, but they also lacked a difference-maker at running back after letting Josh Jacobs walk in free agency. Insert Hampton, who had the best season of his three-year career at North Carolina with 281 rushes for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns — plus 38 catches for 373 yards and two touchdowns — in 2024. The 6-0, 219-pounder will only be 22 this season and could be the Raiders' workhorse back for years to come.
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The Raiders are unsettled at cornerback. Jakorian Bennett played at a high level last season but appeared in just 10 games due to injury and has now missed 10 games in his two NFL seasons. Jack Jones was too inconsistent. Nate Hobbs missed six games due to injury and is set to test free agency. Hairston has some health concerns of his own — he played just seven games in 2024 due to a shoulder injury — but he has elite cover skills and the size at 6-1, 186 pounds that Carroll loves. He had a stellar season in 2023 with 68 tackles and five interceptions. Hairston could start from Day 1 at either outside cornerback or nickelback.
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We were talking about Bond at No. 44, and after he runs at the NFL Scouting Combine or his pro day, even that may be too late. A polished route runner, the 5-11 Bond was clocked at upwards of 22 mph during Texas' win over UTSA in September. He later tweaked his ankle and had just two receptions for 30 yards in the last four games — after he had caught 32 balls for 510 yards in the first 10. Bond, who transferred from Alabama when Nick Saban retired, also had four rushes for 98 yards and a touchdown last season. There aren't many high school state sprint champs with natural hands and good hips on the board.
We know, we know. It's way too obvious to pair Howard with Kelly, his offensive coordinator at Ohio State and the new play caller in Las Vegas, but the 6-4, 235-pound Howard has enough upside to warrant the pick. He completed 73.1 percent of his passes for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions last season while running for 226 yards and seven touchdowns. Howard has good footwork with sufficient arm strength and accuracy. He can do all the cool RPO stuff and throws well on the run, and his toughness and national-title-level leadership make him worth a top-75 pick.
Will Howard was FIRED UP after Jack Sawyer's defensive TD 😤 pic.twitter.com/kv1QR6fTu8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 11, 2025
Swinson can rush the passer. Enough said, right? He has good size at 6-4, 250 pounds with long arms, a good burst and some power. He was never asked to set the edge at LSU and he would not be of much use on running downs. It took him three years and a transfer (from Oregon) before he earned a starting role in college.
We decided we didn't need 11 rookies and traded picks Nos. 144, 182 and 214 to the Buffalo Bills for pick No. 131. Belton excelled as a three-year starter at left tackle in college. The 6-5, 345-pounder could compete with DJ Glaze for the starting job at right tackle. Perhaps he could one day become the successor to Kolton Miller, who'll turn 30 next season.
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Undersized at 6-1, 288 pounds and older (he turns 24 this summer), Cross is worth a late pick because of his quickness and his production in college, where he was a two-time second-team All-American. His dad played 13 years in the NFL and Cross' motor comes across on film when you watch him winning battles inside.
Buchanan transferred from UC Davis — where he had six interceptions his last two seasons there — to Cal, where he was a very good tackler with range. He then had a good week at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices last month and showed off the blitzing skills that led to five sacks and 25 pressures this season, which ranked ninth among college linebackers.
(Photo of Malaki Starks: Dale Zanine / Imagn Images)