John Spytek has made no secret of how much he values draft capital. The Raiders’ general manager has even said as much himself, while also acknowledging this offseason that Las Vegas is in a rebuild. And if the Raiders want more picks, the cleanest way to get them is simple: move a player who carries real value.
At 3-3, though, Las Vegas may be in a different spot than it has been in recent years. If the Raiders are still hanging around when the Nov. 10 trade deadline arrives, they could find themselves on the buying side instead of the selling side by the time Week 10 rolls around.
So the question becomes: who could actually be in play? Here are five realistic names the Raiders could call about, along with what it might take to get them and where they could fit for Klint Kubiak’s team now and later.
Khalil Mack, DE, Los Angeles Chargers
This would be the wild one.
A chunk of Raider Nation still hasn’t let go of the way Mack exited in 2018, though Jon Gruden was running the show in Oakland during that stretch. Even so, Mack still has enough left to matter. The comparison to Charles Woodson makes the idea even more intriguing.
Las Vegas needs help rushing the passer, and the current issues go beyond one spot. The interior has been a problem, Kwity Paye has racked up sacks without consistently changing games snap to snap, and Malcolm Koonce remains an open question. Putting Mack and Maxx Crosby on the same edge would be the kind of thing fans daydream about.
It would be Raiders fan ficition.
Potential cost: 6th-round pick
A division-rival tax would likely push the price above a sixth, but a late Day 3 pick still feels manageable for a player like Mack, even if the stay is short. By then, the picture may be clearer on Paye, Koonce and Keyron Crawford.
In the meantime, Mack could help stabilize the pass rush and give the Raiders a real shot at making noise. The Chargers, sitting at 0-6 and with no contract control beyond this season, don’t have much reason to hold him.
DeForest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts
Buckner rarely gets the spotlight he deserves, but he remains a force. In 2026, he looks like he’s running time backward. He already has 4.0 sacks, which matches last season’s total, along with eight QB hits and 26 tackles, including four for loss.
That kind of production would matter a lot in Las Vegas. The Raiders need serious help inside, both against the run and in the pass rush, and Buckner checks both boxes. He also brings familiarity with the Shanahan coaching tree from his San Francisco 49ers days.
For whatever that is worth as a defensive tackle.
Potential cost: 4th-round pick
Stick to the Model values Buckner as a third-rounder, but that feels rich if a team has to absorb a large chunk of his remaining $26.6 million cap hit. Between the contract and his age, a fourth-rounder seems more reasonable. For the Raiders, that would be a fair swing.
Yaya Diaby, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This one has some intrigue.
Spytek played a major role in bringing Diaby to Tampa Bay out of Louisville, and the connection matters here. Jason Licht’s Buccaneers are also dealing with a messy cap picture in 2027. Diaby is in the final year of his deal, and with no extension in place, Tampa Bay is staring at the possibility of losing him for nothing in free agency and settling for a compensatory pick instead.
The timing is especially pointed because the Bucs are 1-5 and sitting last in the NFC South. If they know they won’t be able to keep him long-term, a trade before the deadline makes sense.
Potential cost: 3rd-round pick
That’s a steep ask, particularly since Diaby hasn’t had a huge start to the 2026 season. He still has no sacks and is playing the lowest share of snaps since his rookie year. Maybe Spytek’s old connection gives the Raiders an opening, but probably not much of one.
Still, Diaby would bring youth to a defense that needs answers up front. At 27, he’s younger than Mack and could be more than a one-year fix depending on how everything develops in Las Vegas.
Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
A Nelson deal would fit the Raiders for plenty of reasons.
Jackson Powers-Johnson’s future in Las Vegas doesn’t look especially stable, Spencer Burford hasn’t delivered at left guard and Caleb Rogers remains unproven. An upgrade inside would make plenty of sense.
The Colts’ situation only adds to the possibility. After firing their longtime general manager, they could be headed for a selloff, and players in the locker room are talking like they know changes are coming. Nelson, a proven veteran in the final year of his deal, could be one of the names available.
Potential cost: 4th- or 5th-round pick
Some people will think Nelson should cost more than that, but Stick to the Model pegs him as a fifth-round value, and that sounds right. A bidding war could push the price up to a fourth, or maybe a conditional fifth that becomes a fourth. For stability up front, that’s a worthwhile move.
George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Ah. Pickens.
Would Jerry Jones really throw in the towel and sell? Probably not. The Cowboys have been trudging through a bad 2-4 start in a weak NFC East, and Jones has a habit of trying to patch things together rather than admit the season’s slipping away.
But if there’s nobody he wants to buy, he could wind up listening on players instead. And if Dallas keeps sliding, Pickens will absolutely get phone calls.
For the Raiders, this is the swing that changes the offense. They need a true No. 1 receiver, and Pickens would be a major addition.
There would have to be real due diligence on his character, and Las Vegas would need to be ready to extend him beyond this season. Still, if Kubiak’s group is on the rise by Week 10, it could be worth going for it.
If Pickens is actually available, the opening price would likely be a first-rounder. Jones isn’t going to make anything easy, and with multiple teams likely interested, the market would only get hotter. But if Pickens could bring his 2025 form to Las Vegas and link up with former Georgia teammate Brock Bowers, that’s the kind of deal that could reshape everything.
In Other News...
Raiders Receiver Need Could Force A Tough Draft Reality
Wide receiver has moved squarely onto the Raiders list of offseason priorities, and the front office has already made a small move in that direction by signing Jalen Nailor, whose production has been limited. With John Spytek expected to keep looking for help in the draft, the position could become one of the teams biggest talking points over the next several months, especially with so much attention on whether Las Vegas can find a receiver who changes the outlook of the room.
The problem is that the Raiders may not be drafting high enough to land one of the premium options many evaluators will have their eye on. Jeremiah Smith is the kind of name that would obviously draw interest, while Charlie Becker has also emerged as a player to watch, but the Raiders actual draft slot could make that pursuit a lot more complicated than it sounds. For a team trying to rebuild its passing-game talent, the receiver search may end up being as much about draft position as it is about need. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders WR Search Took A Telling Turn After Marvin Harrison Jr. Buzz
The Raiders search for help at wide receiver took an interesting detour once Marvin Harrison Jr. entered the conversation. Even with the name recognition and the pedigree that would normally make any receiver a headline target, Las Vegas was reportedly cooling on the idea after getting a sense of what Arizona would want in return.
Harrisons NFL start has not matched the pre-draft hype, with modest production and a few team changes already coloring how the league sees him. There are still defenders who point to his character, but the broader questions about his effort and fit have lingered, and the Raiders appear to have their own clear line on his value as they weigh options for the position. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Enter A 3-Game Stretch That Could Change Everything
The Raiders hot start has faded fast, and now they enter a three-game run that could define how the rest of the season is viewed in Las Vegas. After opening 3-0, the team has dropped three straight, and the next few weeks bring matchups with the 49ers, Rams and Jets before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
What happens in that stretch could shape decisions well beyond the standings. If the slide continues, the front office will have to decide whether to stand pat or start thinking bigger-picture, with the deadline looming and key personnel questions beginning to surface around the roster and the quarterback spot. [Read more 🡒]