What it Would Take for the Raiders to Draft Tua Tagovailoa

The Las Vegas Raiders could be changing more than just their hometown for the 2020 NFL season. All offseason it has appeared that Derek Carr's job as the team's starting quarterback is in jeopardy. They already brought in Marcus Mariota in free agency, and they may not be done addressing the position.

Searching for a new franchise QB and loaded with draft capital, they could also have their sights set on Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa. With that in mind, let's look at how the Raiders could acquire the former Crimson Tide star.

Tua Tagovailoa Raiders

To start with, we can say with near certainty that the Raiders would have to trade up to draft Tagovailoa. FanDuel Sportsbook has Tagovailoa as the odds-on favorite to be the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft at -110, and if he falls further than that he's a virtual lock to be selected at No. 5 by the Miami Dolphins.

Seeing as Miami is targeting him as well, the trade-up would need to come with either the Washington Redskins (No. 2), Detroit Lions (No. 3) and/or New York Giants (No. 4). Reports they might be interested in drafting a QB appear to have just been smokescreens from Washington, who recently acquired Kyle Allen to pair with Dwayne Haskins, so we can pencil in Chase Young at that pick (FanDuel also has him as a massive -330 favorite to go No. 2).

That leaves the Lions and Giants. The Lions need serious help in the secondary, and have long been rumored to be targeting Jeff Okudah. With the departure of Darius Slay, there's a great chance we see that pick play out.

The Giants could be a perfect trade partner though. The G-Men need help at plenty of positions, and while Isaiah Simmons would be a great fit, the odds for their first pick favor a trio of offensive linemen — Tristan Wirfs (+175), Mekhi Becton (+210) and Jedrick Wills Jr. (+240).

If that is the position they're looking to address, trading down makes a ton of sense, as at least one of them would likely be available at No. 12, where the Raiders are slotted to pick first.

Of course, moving up from 12 to 4 isn't going to come cheap. For some context, trading up for the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft for Sam Darnold cost the New York Jets one first-round pick and three second-round picks just to move up three spots (from No. 6).

The Raiders also own the No. 19 pick in the draft, and pairing those two firsts starts to create a very enticing package. They could add a 2021 second- or third-round pick to sweeten the deal.

For a franchise getting a fresh start in a new city, giving their offense a fresh QB-of-the-future has to carry some appeal. It's risky to break the bank for a single player, but that's a gamble that Las Vegas should be willing to make.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.