After months of speculation, it’s looking more and more likely that the Las Vegas Raiders won’t land former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty in the draft. Many mock drafts now expect Jeanty to be off the board when the Raiders pick.
There’s also the chance that the team never realistically considered drafting Jeanty. If that’s the case, the Raiders may look at trade-down options.
The Chicago Bears are another team that has been heavily linked to the star running back. If Jeanty falls to No. 6, they might be willing to pay a premium. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report pitched a trade that sends the No. 10 pick, the No. 72 pick in the third round and running back D’Andre Swift to the Raiders for No. 6.
“While Chicago might have a chance of seeing Jeanty fall to No. 10, moving up to secure him would be logical,” Knox wrote. “Moving ahead of the New York Jets—who might favor Jeanty over Breece Hall, who is on an expiring contract—might be particularly sensible.
“To gauge how such a deal might look, we’ll borrow this trade idea from Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton. The Bears part with current starting back D’Andre Swift and a third-round pick to get their new offensive centerpiece. That would leave general manager Ryan Poles with two second-round picks (Nos. 39 and 41) for further maneuvering at the end of Round 1 or early on Day 2.”
Would This Trade Be Worth It for Raiders?
The Raiders need a running back, and Jeanty is one of the best to come out in years. To willingly let him go to the Bears would be a tough call to make.
Swift is a good running back and a former Pro Bowler, but he’s only rushed for over 1,000 yards once and averaged 3.8 yards per carry last season. That said, there are rumors that the Raiders want to take Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., but No. 6 is likely a reach for him. Moving down to No. 10 while picking up a third-round pick and a running back could be their best option.
No. 10 might be a good spot to take Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson or North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton. All three of those players would fit needs, and taking them at No. 10 is much more justifable than taking one of them at No. 6.
John Spytek Has History of Favoring Trenches
The Raiders taking Jeanty at No. 6 may have always been unrealistic due to who their general manager is. John Spytek comes from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that never drafted a running back in the first round during his tenure and consistently built up the offensive and defensive lines.
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed expect the majority of the Raiders’ draft picks to be used on linemen.
“Besides Spytek and Carroll, new minority owner Tom Brady — who hired both — is expected to be in the draft room, and who has final say with the No. 6 pick will be fascinating,” Tafur and Reed wrote. “Spytek was the second in command during a long stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they had a history of building the trenches, with six of their 10 first-round picks being either offensive or defensive linemen.”
