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The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. With the draft less than a month away, NFL Mock Drafts are circulating online now more than ever. PFSN recently published its own seven-round mock draft, covering all 32 teams. Teams like the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders provide a ton of intrigue at the top of the first round.
However, what if every team in the NFL traded its first-round pick? All 32 picks changing hands in one night would bring a ton of chaos. This idea was recently explored by FOX Sports writer Ralph Vacchiano.
Every single first-round pick was traded in Vacchiano’s recent first-round mock draft. This included some very intriguing moves. One such move saw the Raiders trade up from No. 6 to No. 1. And the Tom Brady-led franchise made a very interesting selection with their new pick.
Raiders Predicted To Trade for No. 1 Pick in New Mock Draft
The Raiders traded with the Titans in Vacchiano’s mock draft. Vacchiano did not detail a specific trade between the two teams. However, he did mention that Tennessee would receive “a future first, and maybe a second-round pick this year” for the top selection. With their new pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected quarterback Cam Ward out of Miami (FL).
“There are several teams desperate for a franchise quarterback, and the Titans are one of them. But they decide here that even the top prospect in a weak QB class isn’t worth it, compared to what they can do with the king’s ransom they’re likely to be offered. And it could be huge,” Vacchiano wrote.
“To drop five spots, they’d get a future first, and maybe a second-round pick this year. Meanwhile, Tom Brady’s Raiders understand that a top quarterback is everything, so they’re willing to offer what it takes to jump over the Giants. They have Geno Smith plugged in for at least part of 2025, but they know he’s only a short-term solution.”
Vacchiano’s mock certainly differs from that of PFSN’s. The Raiders stayed at the sixth overall pick in PFSN’s recent mock. With that selection, Las Vegas went with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
“With the Las Vegas Raiders addressing the quarterback position with the addition of Geno Smith, adding a star running back to round out their offense makes a ton of sense. The Raiders were one of the league’s worst rushing offenses last season and desperately need more juice in their RB room. Ashton Jeanty is an electric running back who flashes the speed, vision, and contact balance to excel as a primary ball carrier. He would give the Raiders a Pro Bowl talent at the position,” PFSN wrote of Jeanty’s fit with the Raiders.
The signing of Smith, who finished last season with a No. 15 ranking and C+ grade (78.1) in PFSN’s QB+ metric certainly makes picking a quarterback less of a need. Smith can hold the fort down for a season or two before Vegas finds its new long-term signal-caller. Adding to the offense around Smith is a smart option.
Running backs in the first round have been panned in recent years due to positional value. However, the position is becoming more and more valuable. The Philadelphia Eagles, for instance, won a Super Bowl thanks in part to a historic season from Saquon Barkley.
Moreover, a first-round running back can work in the right situation. The Detroit Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall in 2023. Gibbs and veteran David Montgomery have become one of football’s most feared running back tandems.
Whatever the Raiders do in the 2025 NFL Draft obviously remains to be seen. Their pick will certainly say a lot about what the team wants to do on offense moving forward. It will also signal their confidence level in Smith as the man under center for the 2025 campaign.
