The Las Vegas Raiders have made several crucial moves this offseason that should change the trajectory of the franchise, but making a series of good choices in the 2025 NFL Draft will be pivotal as well. With the No. 6 pick and nine overall selections at their disposal, the team could take multiple franchise centerpieces this year.
On Thursday, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman released a mock draft in which the team selects Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker with the sixth pick, but the Raiders also trade back into the first round, landing the Philadelphia Eagles' No. 32 pick. With the selection, they chose Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Egbuka spent last season working intimately with his offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, who now holds the same title with the Las Vegas Raiders. During his senior season, Egbuka became the Buckeyes' all-time leader in both catches and receiving yards and finished seventh in program history with 24 receiving touchdowns.
Las Vegas could use a receiver of his caliber to pair with Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers. Not only is he a big and fast player in the slot, but his rapport with Coach Kelly could be critical to having early success in the NFL.
In this projection, it would only cost the Raiders their fourth-round pick to move up five spots from No. 37. If that is all it takes, it should be a no-brainer for general manager John Spytek to reunite these two National Champions.
Related: Raiders Facing Backlash for Geno Smith Contract
Related: Charles Woodson Didn't Hesitate to Name Position Travis Hunter Should Play in NFL
Related: Mark Davis Reveals His Role in Raiders Decision Making
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 2:39 PM.