There is no shortage of debate about what the Las Vegas Raider should do with their first-round pick at No. 13 overall, whether that be trading up, trading back, or simply staying put and making their pick.
One ESPN analyst, Bill Barnwell, recently shared his thoughts on what the Raiders should do at No. 13 overall and he believes Las Vegas should trade back. Here's his take:
I try to be the voice of reason with the Raiders, but it's usually for naught until it's too late. 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.
While the Raiders need an upgrade on Aidan O'Connell at quarterback, 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.) Las Vegas also needs long-term answers along the offensive line, in the secondary and at running back. 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 fact of the matter is, if the Raiders believe their guy is available via a move up in the first round, they should jump, especially considering the Raiders have a solid roster that is ready to compete for a playoff spot and can afford to let picks go to get a deal done for a difference-maker under center.
Unfortunately, it stands to reason there will be plenty of competition to move up, especially from the Minnesota Vikings, a team that sports a pair of first-round picks to throw in any offer.
Regardless, if Las Vegas truly believes in a signal-caller at any point in the draft, general manager Tom Telesco should do what it takes to get him in the silver and black.
