The Las Vegas Raiders will have concerns over their wideout room until the group goes out and performs to quiet the doubters. Nonetheless, for now, those doubters or at least those concerned with the team’s wide receivers will continue to come out with takes.
Over the offseason, the Silver and Black signed Jalen Nailor in free agency. Las Vegas is hoping that Nailor makes the most of an expanded role after being WR3 for the Minnesota Vikings.
Moreover, the Raiders drafted Malik Benson in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Nonetheless, Las Vegas also has Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, and Dont’e Thornton Jr., who could be vital pieces for the offense.
Still, when it comes to the wide receiver position, the Raiders are getting endless takes, with one of the latest being trading a late Day 3 pick for a wideout. In a May 23 article, FanSided’s Austen Bundy floated a trade pitch between the Silver and Black and the San Francisco 49ers.
“Because Washington is Aiyuk’s preferred landing spot, any team hoping to entrain his signature is left with the only option of acquiring him before he can choose to go there,” Bundy wrote. “Las Vegas could be one of those franchises who can afford to beef up its receiver room via this avenue.
“Aiyuk’s 2026 guarantees were voided after his whole unfortunate saga with the 49ers, meaning the Raiders wouldn’t have to give up more than a late-round pick for him. A 2027 sixth-rounder should be the price, no higher as it’s no secret San Francisco will wind up losing him for nothing once the time to release him comes around.”
Going After Brandon Aiyuk Comes With Risk
Nonetheless, even giving up a late-round pick is a major risk for someone like Aiyuk, given that he hasn’t played since 2024 and had a concerning fallout with the Niners. Despite that, Aiyuk is still in his prime years at 28, so any team could be buying low and potentially getting a WR1 as he’s shown in the past.
“It’s impossible to say what kind of shape Aiyuk is in after being held out of the entire 2025 season and missing most of 2024 with a torn ACL,” Bundy added in his article. “A return to his 2023 and 2024 form, when he posted a pair of 1,000-plus-yard campaigns, would be nice but expectations should be tempered. At worst, he’s putting up Nailor’s numbers but having three veteran options for Mendoza to throw too won’t hurt one bit.
“Best case scenario: Aiyuk emerges as a surprise WR1 option and Mendoza has a go-to weapon for the start of his career. That’s a launching point any franchise should want to aim for, so there really isn’t much holding the Raiders back from rolling the dice on this.”
Raiders Get Another WR to Pursue Before the 2026 Season
Nonetheless, the Raiders can avoid the risk with Aiyuk and look at the veteran free agent market. Stefon Diggs remains a free agent and showed last season with the New England Patriots that he still has plenty left in the tank, leading ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes to say that the Silver and Black would be a fit for the veteran.
“I would throw out the Raiders though as a team that really should consider making this play because right now that receiving group is pretty thin and when the young quarterback Fernando Mendoza eventually starts, it would really help him to have a receiver like Stefon Diggs who he can rely on in those situations,” Kimes said on the May 22 edition of “NFL Live.”
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