The Raiders would’ve been cool had the NFL season ended last week. They would’ve had three picks in the top 17 of the 2019 NFL Draft -- and two in the top 10.
They’re happier the stock price wasn’t set after Week 8. The Chicago Bears continued to win, and the idle Dallas Cowboys moved down the draft order with the optimism that Amari Cooper will make them better.
The Raiders are doing their part to earn a high draft pick, as they lost to the Colts on Sunday and moved up to the No. 3 overall spot. They have two other first-round picks in 2019, acquired in the Khalil Mack and Cooper trades. They didn’t get another one Tuesday afternoon at the NFL trade deadline, when they stood pat despite being involved in talks to move veterans and some younger players.
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Here are where the Raiders' 2019 first-round picks would be heading into this week:
No. 3 overall (Last week: No. 4)
How it was earned -- This is the Raiders' own pick, and it’s staying high with mounting losses and little hope for the future beyond Thursday’s game against the 49ers and another two weeks later at Arizona. They more the Raiders lose, the better this pick will look.
No. 13 overall (Last week: No. 10)
NFL
How it was earned -- The Cowboys moved down some on the bye week, but the Cooper trade should help them create balance on offense and likely help them win more games in a wide-open NFC East. The Raiders certainly hope the pick hovers around the middle of the pack.
No. 22 overall (Last week: No. 17)
How it was earned -- This pick came from the Chicago Bears as part of a draft-pick package that also includes a 2020 first-round pick. It’s also an example of why the Raiders didn’t need to trade Mack when they did, when there was no certainty about where Chicago would select. The Raiders banked on the Bears being bad, as quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is improving and Mack has made Chicago's defense a real force.