The Las Vegas Raiders decided not to use a trade back into the first round on Day 1 or use a Day 2 pick on a wide receiver. Nonetheless, the Silver and Black did use a sixth-round pick to select former Oregon Ducks wideout, Malik Benson.
Still, Benson will need time to develop and won’t be hitting the ground running out of the gate. As a result, could the Raiders look at the free agent or trade market to add another wide receiver?
For The Athletic’s Robert Mays, he believes the Raiders should go the trade route and buy low on a player without leveraging any of their Day 1 or Day 2 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. Mays proposed that Las Vegas pursue Kayshon Boutte, who could be the odd man out if the New England Patriots trade for A.J. Brown.
“The actual real thing that the Raiders could do, that is within the realm of possibility and is not us screwing around because it’s April 29 and we are trying to have a good time, is: Can you trade a fifth-round pick for Kayshon Boutte?” Mays said on the April 30 edition of “The Athletic Football Show.”
“It’s that type of stuff they actually probably should be thinking about, not the pie-in-the-sky idea of whether they can snatch away A.J. Brown from the Patriots. It’s not going to happen.”
Could Las Vegas Pursue a Veteran Wideout?
Nonetheless, could the Raiders look at the veteran wideout market to improve the group before the 2026 NFL season? Moreover, if Las Vegas goes with Kirk Cousins to start the campaign, might they want to add a wide receiver with a past connection to him?
In an April 29 article, CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles stated that the best free agent fit is Stefon Diggs, who played with Cousins while with the Minnesota Vikings.
“Diggs showed last year he can still really play, even if his snap share was way down,” Pereles wrote. “A talented separator who snatches the ball with hands like glue, Diggs would really help a Raiders wide receiver group bereft of his skill set and bereft of experience. The youngsters could play a lot, but Diggs could still see planty of work on crucial downs.”
Raiders GM Backs Current Wideout Group
While there could be speculation linking the Raiders to a veteran wideout, the team’s general manager, John Spytek, is high on their current group. Over the offseason, Las Vegas signed Jalen Nailor to go along with Tre Tucker.
Moreover, the Silver and Black are hoping Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. take a major step in their development in Season 2.
“I like our receiver room,” Spytek said on the April 29 edition of “Up & Adams.” “I think probably people are going to roll their eyes. Everybody loves receivers. This is a question I get from my kids, ‘Dad, like can we have 15 receivers on the roster?‘
“We live in the fantasy football world — receiver, receiver, receiver. I value receivers, I do. I really do. But I love Tre Tucker, and he’s a good player. And we’re excited about Jalen Nailor, and we drafted Jack Bech in the second last year. We have belief in Jack.
“We drafted Dont’e Thornton in the fourth last year; we believe in him. I’m excited with Malik Benson. We’re not going to force anything. We have a very thorough evaluation of every player at every position and it never goes the way you want it to go.”
Raiders Get Intriguing Trade Idea for Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte