Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Mock Draft: Trading back in the first round to get the most value from the entire class
It feels like the Las Vegas Raiders are going to draft Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But, they could go a different route. No one is talking about a trade back, when really, this team would be getting the best value out of the class. They have so much […]
It feels like the Las Vegas Raiders are going to draft Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But, they could go a different route. No one is talking about a trade back, when really, this team would be getting the best value out of the class.
They have so much more needs than fans may think. This is a team that won four games last year, and while Antonio Pierce wasn't the head coach, it wasn't all because of coaching. The roster isn't that great — there are some great parts of the roster, but overall the roster was a four win roster. Now, they may be a tad bit better than last year, but just adding Geno Smith has only added maybe two more wins than what they had last year.
So, drafting a running back at No. 6 when they have so many bigger needs, and the positional value in the draft is better in the second or even third round, is kind of silly. So why not trade back? Why not try and get more picks to fill in the holes on your roster as much as possible?
In this mock draft, the Raiders do just that. The Raiders traded away pick No. 6 overall and pick No. 222 overall to the Indianapolis Colts for pick No. 14, pick No. 45, and pick No. 151. This has the Raiders staying in the first round, getting a potential blue-chip player, but also getting more day two picks that really matter.
And, we used the Jimmy Johnson trade chart along with a trade calculator to make sure the trade would in fact work, and the Raiders actually come out on the bad end here, not getting back as much as they should. But, the trade seems realistic enough.
Raiders 2025 Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 14: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
I'm not sure the fan base truly has a grasp on how much a linebacker is needed before the season starts. They are currently set up to have both Elandon Roberts and Devin White as their starting linebackers, and neither can really play in coverage very well at all.
Campbell, while he has his own troubles, is certainly a much better coverage linebacker than those two. He's also one of the best players in the entire draft. He plays the run well with great run instincts, and has some of the best pursuit traits you will see. But his biggest flaw is that he is still raw to the position. He's young, but when it comes to coverage, he usually catches on after seeing something a few times, and he learns from his mistakes well. He has the mold to be an All-Pro player, and in this defense, could be a complete game changer.
Round 2, Pick 37: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
I'm not sure that Jack Jones will be around next year. He was an Antonio Pierce guy, and really started to show his flaws last season. And even if he is around, the Raiders don't have a star cornerback. They have a few guys who are true No. 2s or No. 3s, and don't get me wrong, are good, but there is no one that is a star or has the ability to take over.
Amos can do that. He is one of the best cornerbacks in this draft, and maybe the best balanced cornerback when it comes to zone or man coverage. And, he can play the run game well. But, Amos is pretty much strictly an outside corner. He doesn't have the best versatility based on what we have seen from his alignment snap count over the years.
Round 2, Pick 45: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
This is the most logical pick the Raiders should make in the entire draft. They need a running back desperately, so why not get one that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly used to win a National Championship just last year? Henderson is the better one of the two Ohio State running backs, mainly because of his ability to be a three-down back. He can catch and pass pro as well, and we all saw what he could do as a runner.
The Raiders had the worst run game in the league last year, and while the offensive line was a factor, scheme and personnel were an even bigger factor. They just didn't have good players at the position. Now they will.
Round 3, Pick 68: Josaiah Stewart, EDGE, Michigan
If Stewart is on the board, and he's one of the best players available, there's no way that Tom Brady and John Spytek, two Michigan guys, don't pass on Stewart, one of the more underrated pass rushers at the edge position in the entire draft. With Tyree Wilson not being what everyone hoped, and Malcolm Koonce having questions around his injury and contract, taking an edge will be the smart thing to do.
Round 4, Pick 108: Anthony Belton, OT, NC State
The offensive line allowed the seventh most sacks last year, with the two tackles having 40 blown blocks each, placing them both top ten in the category across the league. And, they had the worst run game in the league. Why would the Raiders not draft a tackle, especially with Kolton Miller going into a contract year and on an obvious decline? Belton is considered a top 100 player in the draft, with a pass block PFF grade of 87.7.
Round 5, Pick 143: Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
Wide receiver is a huge need, but I'm not sure the Raiders should take one too early in the draft. They need a solid WR2 or WR3. They also need a guy who can do work deep down the field, but also work over the middle of the field. Williams is one of the more underrated guys in the draft, and would be a perfect fit. Williams had nearly 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
Round 5, Pick 151: Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse
The Raiders, despite trading for former Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith, still need a quarterback behind he and Aidan O'Connell, and if the Geno Smith "longterm QB" thing doesn'ty work out, they have a guy who led college football in passing last year, and is still one of the younger guys in the draft, and not one of the guys who played six or seven years. He can sit behind Smith for a year or two, and the Raiders could experiment with a Green Bay Packers — Jordan Love situation.
Round 6, Pick 180: Dylan Fairchild, OG, Georgia
Trotting out a group with Dylan Patham, Jordan Meredith, Alex Cappa, and Will Outnam to pair with Jackson Powers-Johnson doesn't seem ideal. But, it's hard to take a guard very early in this draft with so many other needs they have, and the chance that Dylan Parham gets back to a level of playing that we saw from him two years ago. You could even say the same about Alex Cappa, who was terrible last year, but two years before this year was very good.
Round 6, Pick 213: Kitan Crawford, S, Nevada
The Raiders need safety and nickel depth. They have some pretty good players in the starting roles at the positions, but the depth is a bit bleak, and Crawford has some really great potential. He played all his snaops in the slot, or at safety, or in the box, and his speed allowed him to use his versatility in a big way. He's a great coverage safety but could use some help in the run game.
Round 6, Pick 215: Thor Griffith, DT, Louisville
The Raiders need a big-time nose tackle, and Thor Griffith has the name and size to match it. At 6'2", 320 pounds, Griffith can be a good run stopper with some work and development. He can be a good space eater for the Raiders' defensive line, one that really doesn't have a player like him.
Raiders 2025 Mock Draft: Examining what Las Vegas may do if they don’t take Ashton Jeanty or Tetairoa McMillan
The Raiders need to get this right regardless.
