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Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak.
The Las Vegas Raiders appear set to select a quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The team has a massive need at the position, and this is their best chance at finding a long-term franchise quarterback.
However, this is a very weak quarterback class. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is the only one widely thought of as a first-round pick. That could make some teams desperate to trade up with the Raiders.
The Arizona Cardinals are a struggling franchise and it doesn’t look like Kyler Murray is in their long-term plans. Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report pitched a trade that would send Murray, the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft and a 2027 first-round pick to the Raiders for the No. 1 pick and a sixth-round pick.
“Murray hasn’t played up to the level of the five-year, $230.5 million deal he signed in 2022. But he is a former No. 1 overall pick in his own right, and he has led a team to the playoffs and made a pair of Pro Bowls,” Davenport wrote. “Fernando Mendoza may be the clear No. 1 QB in his class, but he’s by no means a can’t-miss, generational prospect. Getting a top-five selection in 2026, an additional first-rounder in 2027 and a quarterback could be enough for the Raiders to gamble on a reclamation project with Murray. And with $91.5 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, the team has the room to absorb Murray’s deal.
“It’s an expensive proposition for the Redbirds. But if they want to reset under center badly enough, this is probably what it would take to pry Mendoza away from Vegas.”
Something for the Raiders to Consider
This would be a massive haul for the Raiders just to move down two spots in the draft. Now, it would mean missing out on Mendoza, but the Raiders could get a star offensive or defensive lineman with that No. 3 pick.
And who’s to say the Cardinals won’t be bad again next year? Perhaps that 2027 first-round pick ends up being in the top five. That might be too good an offer to pass up. Murray hasn’t been a consistent player, but perhaps he’d be servicable under Klint Kubiak for a year or two.
It’s hard to imagine the Cardinals would actually offer this much to move up two spots, but if they do, the Raiders have to at least think about it.
Cardinals Open to Trading Murray
Murray is a former No. 1 pick who has looked very good at times. However, injuries and inconsistent play have derailed his Cardinals tenure. He’s still a very talented and young player, but a fresh start might be best.
According to Cardinals general manager Monte Ossenfort, Arizona is open to whatever moves they can make at quarterback.
“I’d say all options are on the table for us,” Ossenfort said. “We got (Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis) all under contract as it pertains to that position. As it pertains to every position on our team, we’re going to look at every avenue to improve. We’re going to continue to go through our process with that.”
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
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