Against all odds, the Las Vegas Raiders may actually be buyers at this year’s trade deadline. At 3-1, the team is in the mix to make the playoffs this season.
However, the Raiders may need a few more pieces on the roster if they’re really going to compete. There has been a lot of focus on the team’s need for wide receiver help. That need has only gotten worse with Jack Bech and Jalen Nailor getting hurt.
Wide receiver is certainly a big need for Las Vegas, but there are other positions they could address. So far, the cornerback room has played well this season, but it’s a very young group. If the Raiders feel like they want another veteran in the room, general manager John Spytek could call up his former employer.
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus believes that Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum could be traded and sees the Raiders as a fit.
“In the first year of a three-year, $48 million extension, McCollum is another defender the Buccaneers could look to shed,” Locker wrote. “The Steelers could reunite McCollum with Jamel Dean after trading away Porter, while the Lions urgently need more talent in their secondary. The Bears and Bengals could also make particular sense given McCollum’s superior man coverage work (69.4 PFF coverage grade) and their higher rates of utilizing the look, although McCollum was actually better in zone in 2024 and 2025. Raiders general manager John Spytek may make some calls to his former organization, too.”
Raiders Also Named Fit for Buccaneers DL
Cornerback isn’t a big need for the Raiders right now, and there are other positions that should be a bigger priority. Defensive tackle continues to be a need for the team.
Adam Butler, Folorunso Fatukasi and Tonka Hemingway have played well, but the Raiders need more depth. Locker named Buccaneers defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson as a trade fit.
“Robinson joined the Buccaneers on a one-year contract, and he’s been one of the team’s few bright spots thus far,” Locker wrote. “His 89.5 overall PFF grade is actually the highest among defensive linemen with 90 or more snaps, powered by an elite 88.8 PFF run-defense grade. However, Robinson hasn’t been much of a factor against the pass, tallying only four pressures over 60 pass-rushing snaps.
“Robinson may not be the flashiest name on this list, but he’s likely to be dealt given his work on the ground, not to mention being a 2027 free agent. The 31-year-old would be a good consolation prize for teams that miss out on Payne.”
Can Raiders Afford to Swing Big Trades?
The Raiders can make the playoffs this season. That’s clear from how they’ve played the first four games. However, they can’t forget that this is still technically a rebuilding year.
Competing for a Super Bowl this season is a long shot. The Raiders could find it preferable to hold onto their draft picks so that they can keep building the roster with cheap and young players. They only have six draft picks in next year’s draft, so they have to really think before they make any deal.
Raiders Named Trade Fits for 2 Buccaneers Starters