The Las Vegas Raiders have had some serious woes in the first round of the draft in recent years. Last year, Brock Bowers was a hit, and this year, Ashton Jeanty looks like the real deal.
Prior to that, the Raiders had a run of very disappointing first-round picks. While it’s not fair to call 2023 No. 7 pick Tyree Wilson a total bust yet, he hasn’t come close to living up to his draft status. With left tackle Kolton Miller likely out for the season, the team has a need at left tackle.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell pitched a trade that would send Wilson to the Chicago Bears for left tackle Braxton Jones.
“Let’s make bets on two frustrating players. Jones entered the season with a potentially massive contract riding on his performance at left tackle for the Bears, but the Ben Johnson regime quickly soured on the player it inherited on Caleb Williams’ blind side,” Barnwell wrote. “Jones split time in practice at left tackle during preseason. Though he was the Week 1 starter, Jones didn’t last long in the lineup. He was pulled in the first half against the Raiders in Week 4 and didn’t play a single offensive snap against the Commanders on Sunday night.
“Even mediocre young left tackles can be valuable, as Dan Moore Jr.’s free agent contract showed, but Jones’ future is likely elsewhere. The Bears will go with Theo Benedet as their left tackle for now, and second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo is entrenched as Chicago’s swing tackle and the next man up. Tackle depth is always nice to have, but the Bears could use help elsewhere.”
Why Would Raiders Want to Trade Wilson?
As Barnwell noted, Jones isn’t the starter and hasn’t proven to be an impact player. However, he’s simply not very high on Wilson and thinks the opportunity to add a left tackle with 44 career starts could be the wise play.
“Even a below-average left tackle like Jones would be a massive upgrade on what the Raiders are likely to run out over the next couple of months, and they could potentially land a compensatory pick if Jones leaves after the season,” Barnwell wrote. “Adding what might be essentially a short-term tackle could seem odd for a team out of playoff contention in the AFC, but the Raiders just need to be able to reliably run their offense right now.
“Las Vegas would simultaneously move on from another of their former disappointing first-round picks in Wilson, who simply hasn’t developed into a starting-caliber player since being drafted with the seventh pick in 2023.”
Pete Carroll Praises Wilson
The hope when the Raiders drafted Wilson was that he could be a superstar running mate for Maxx Crosby. He’s been a decent player, but he seems like he’ll never be a dependable starter.
That said, head coach Pete Carroll just spoke about how the Raiders still have plans for him.
“We’re planning on him in the middle of the rotations,” Carroll told reporters on Wednesday. “He’s doing well. He’s playing really hard. His effort has been consistent. He’s such a great physical athlete that it shows up. You see the big hits, and you see the overwhelming plays that he can make coming off blocks and things like that.”
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