There’s one player who stands out as the perfect fit for the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 NFL Draft. With the offseason trade for quarterback Geno Smith, the team no longer needs a quarterback.
What they do need is wide receiver help and cornerback help. There’s only one player in the draft class who can help both positions: Colorado’s Travis Hunter.
While it’s unlikely he’ll be able to play both wide receiver and cornerback full-time at the NFL level, it sounds like he wants to do. If he can do that and do it well, the Raiders would solve two needs at once.
However, it’s going to require trading up from the No. 6 pick. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell pitched a trade that would send the No. 6 pick, the No. 37 pick, 2026 fourth-round pick and tight end Michael Mayer to the Cleveland Browns for the No. 2 pick and a 2027 conditional fifth-round pick.
“The Browns undoubtedly want to add a star player with the No. 2 pick, but they need more cost-controlled talent across the board because of the aftereffects of the Watson trade,” Barnwell wrote in a March 31 column. “Moving down and adding extra picks makes sense, especially if they can add another 2026 selection. By dropping down four spots, they could still draft an impact player at No. 6, land another top-40 pick and get a buy-low candidate in Mayer, who would pair well with David Njoku.
“For the Raiders, this is their chance to add a transcendent player. Travis Hunter is probably not making it to No. 6, and new coach Pete Carroll — a legendary defensive backs coach — has been know to defy positional value if there’s a player he really loves in the secondary. (Remember, he once traded two first-round picks for Jamal Adams.) Hunter would be an immediate hit at cornerback, and I’m sure Carroll would have few qualms about putting Hunter at wide receiver as well. Las Vegas would also land a conditional pick that could turn into a fourth-rounder in 2027 if Mayer, who was drafted two regimes ago, racks up 600 receiving yards over the next two seasons in Cleveland.”
Does This Trade Make Sense for Raiders?
Moving up to the No. 2 pick without having to give up a future first-round pick would have to interest the Raiders. Mayer is rumored to be on the trade block anyway so that wouldn’t be a huge loss.
That said, teams usually trade up that high to take a quarterback and it’s unlikely the Raiders are targeting a quarterback. As Barnwell noted, it’s easy to see Carroll getting smitten with the idea of adding Hunter. The Raiders also have a creative coaching staff that should be able to get the best out of the hybrid star.
Could Raiders Trade Down?
A trade-up is certainly possible for the Raiders but a trade-down could also be on the table. Two of the players the team has been heavily linked to are Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan.
Neither player might be worth using a pick as high as No. 6 on. If the Raiders want either of them, they should consider trying to trade down at least a few spots so they can feel better about making the pick.
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