The Las Vegas Raiders‘ wide receiver room is a major talking point around the football media. For those on the outside of the Silver and Black’s facilities, they see the Raiders lacking at wide receiver.
With the free agency period and the 2026 NFL Draft in the rear view mirror, there are still veterans out in the market. Moreover, there’s one potential WR1 on the trade market, but it comes with major risk: San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk.
49ers on SI’s Grant Cohn noted that Aiyuk reuniting with Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak, who was with the Niners during the 2023 season as the team’s passing game coordinator.
“The Raiders should be all over this because they have no wide receiver,” Cohn said in a May 27 video on his YouTube channel. “But they do have a tight end, a running back, a quarterback, and a play caller. So why not give him a chance to actually compete this year as opposed to just tanking for another year?
“Get Brandon Aiyuk if he’s available. You could renegotiate his contract. You could do a lot of things, but I think that would make sense for them. Otherwise, Mendoza is going to struggle this year [and] you can only throw to [Brock] Bowers so many times.”
The Raiders have focused on drafting and signing high-character players, so Aiyuk wouldn’t fit that mold. Nonetheless, Kubiak might feel he could put the player on the right path amid his situation with the Niners.
Las Vegas Would Be Good Alternative for Brandon Aiyuk
Cohn added that although Aiyuk probably wants to play with the Washington Commanders due to his connection with Jayden Daniels, playing with the Raiders would be an ideal alternative, given his familiarity with the system Kubiak is going to run in Las Vegas.
“He gets to be the No. 1 wide receiver, and he gets to play with the No. 1 pick, and he gets to play in a system he’s familiar with,” Cohn added. “He doesn’t get to play with his best friend, but Nick [Bosa] doesn’t get to play with his brother. It’s the pros. I mean, this might be the best situation for Aiyuk from a professional sense.”
Lincoln Kennedy Urges Raiders to Avoid Bad Influences
Stefon Diggs is another player who is the speculation mill when talking about the Raiders. Nonetheless, former offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy doesn’t want the Silver and Black to go after any wideout, such as Diggs or Aiyuk, who would bring unnecessary baggage to a young rebuilding team.
“Because you have such a young, impressionable team in the locker room, the last thing you need to bring in is a distraction,” Lincoln said on the May 26 edition of the “Raiders Squad Show.” “I’m not talking about Stefon Diggs on the field. I’m talking about everything involving Diggs off the field. Can you imagine the Vegas sideshow that is already there?”
The Raiders would likely want to avoid any negative influences on their young core, and while Aiyuk, if healthy, would be a WR1, it doesn’t appear worth the risk.
49ers Insider Issues Strong Brandon Aiyuk Take to Raiders