NFL Analyst Explains Why He Feels the Las Vegas Raiders Should Trade Down

There are many opinions on what the Las Vegas Raiders should do in the NFL Draft. Trading down in the first round of the draft could benefit the Raiders long term.

The Las Vegas Raiders are facing one of the most critical NFL Drafts in recent memory. With nearly an entirely new regime in place, the Raiders must successfully execute their upcoming draft plans if they hope to get Coach Antonio Pierce’s tenure off on the right foot.

The Raiders have many options for what to do with the No.13 pick, as they have multiple positions that need to be addressed. Las Vegas could select a quarterback, offensive lineman, cornerback, or trade back to gain more draft picks. 

ESPN Analyst Bill Barnwell explains why he believes the Raiders should trade back in the draft to accumulate more picks.

“I try to be the voice of reason with the Raiders, but it's usually for naught until it's too late,” Barnwell said. “They aren't as close to contending as they seem to believe. This team was the league's 11th-oldest a year ago, in huge part because it got virtually nothing out of the top-100 picks it made during the Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels eras.”

“Some of those veterans have gone out the door this offseason, but the reason defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, guard Greg Van Roten, and cornerback Marcus Peters were in starting roles for most of last season was because the guys the Raiders originally expected to fill those roles from their drafts either didn't pan out or weren't good enough to play.”

Barnwell isn’t high on quarterback Aidan O’Connell’s chances of helping the Raiders close the gap between them and the Kansas City Chiefs, who have dominated the division for most of the last decade.

“While the Raiders need an upgrade on Aidan O'Connell at quarterback,” Barnwell said. “They're also not a quarterback away from competing with the Chiefs. (Yes, they beat the Chiefs in December, but if you're counting on getting two defensive touchdowns on consecutive plays to beat Patrick Mahomes every time out, that's not going to go well.)”

Barnwell believes the Raiders should trade down but doesn’t think it will happen, as General Manager Tom Telesco doesn’t have a history of doing so.

“Las Vegas also needs long-term answers along the offensive line, in the secondary, and at running back,” Barnwell said. “That's why it's the perfect team to take a swing on a quarterback such as Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) early in Round 2 after moving down to add extra picks in Round 1. Given that the Raiders' general manager is now Tom Telesco, and I just mentioned he never traded down once during his time with the Chargers, well, I wouldn't count on Vegas moving down in reality.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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