If the Las Vegas Raiders were to trade up in the draft, many expect it to be for a quarterback. However, the team has big enough needs on the offensive line to potentially consider moving up a few spots.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell floated a trade idea that would involve the Raiders moving up to the Atlanta Falcons‘ pick at No. 8 to take a right tackle. The trade would have Las Vegas send the No. 13 pick, the No. 77 pick and defensive Malcolm Koonce to the Falcons for the No. 8 pick.
“The Falcons would move down five spots and add another third-round pick to their collection,” Barnell wrote in an April 18 column. “They would also pick up a promising pass-rusher in Koonce, who had eight sacks and 17 knockdowns in 11 starts for the Raiders across from Maxx Crosby a year ago. Teams can never have too many pass-rushers, but Koonce is a free agent after 2024, and Las Vegas will probably want to see what it has in 2023 top-10 pick Tyree Wilson, who was anonymous as a rookie. Losing Koonce would hurt, but this deal would value him as being worth a fourth-round pick by the Jimmy Johnson chart, which seems fair.”
This trade would be good value for the Falcons but it’s difficult to see how it’s worthwhile for the Raiders to make unless a quarterback they like drops.
Malcolm Koonce Worth More Than a 4th-Round Pick?
Heading into last season, getting a fourth-round pick for Malcolm Koonce would’ve been good value. He had 2.0 sacks over his first two seasons and was fighting to keep a roster spot. However, he’s on an upward trajectory after a strong 2023 season.
Koonce was second on the Raiders with 8.0 sacks last season and he’s only 25. There should be a lot more room for him to go. Bill Barnwell is giving Koonce a fourth-round pick value in his Falcons trade proposal but he’s likely worth more than that to the Raiders. There’s a chance he could continue to be the team’s second-best pass rusher and as an ascending player, now would be the worst time to trade him.
Las Vegas Raiders Land OT in Peter Schrager’s Mock Draft
The problem with Bill Barnwell’s proposal is that the Raiders should still have the pick of a number of very good offensive tackles at No. 13. The only way this scenario would make sense is if Notre Dame’s Joe Alt fell to No. 8.
In Peter Schrager’s recent mock draft for NFL.com, there’s one offensive tackle taken in the first 12 picks. That would give the Raiders the chance to draft the second-best offensive tackle on the board, which Schrager believes is Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu.
“The Raiders need to build up the offense in this draft,” Schrager wrote in an April 16 mock draft. “Continuing to fortify the O-line makes a lot of sense. Tom Telesco hit on most of his first-round picks as general manager of the Chargers; now he’s looking to do the same with the rival Raiders. Fashanu might have the highest upside of all these tackle prospects.”
The Raiders likely don’t need to trade up if they hope to add offensive tackle help in the first round.
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