Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco shared valuable insights about the team’s approach to the NFL Draft this week while keeping trade details under wraps on Monday. With rumors swirling that the Raiders could try to move up in the first round to nab a quarterback, Telesco emphasized a common theme across the league: adaptability and versatility.
Meeting with the media ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft in Detroit, Telesco emphasized the Raiders are prepared to adjust their strategy based on player availability and team needs—no matter what happens. But are the Raiders ready to be aggressive and move up, as various NFL insiders have reported?
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“Yeah, newsflash, GM says he’s open to trading up, moving back, picking at a spot,” Telesco quipped. “Like, everybody always says the same thing. So, yeah, like we have a plan right now to go up if we have to and be aggressive with it. We’ve got a plan if we stick and pick, obviously, and we got a plan to go back if it’s within a certain range. It’s been normal this year like other years.”
This flexible approach mirrors the tactics of GMs around the league who aim to keep their options open, maintain negotiation leverage and preserve an element of unpredictability regarding their draft intentions.
“We have plans in place to move up if needed and take a stance. We also have strategies for sticking with our picks or moving back within a range,” he explained.
The Raiders own the 13th overall pick in the first round and have been most recently linked to Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who is projected to be available at that slot. With a quarterback class that includes USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, if the Raiders want one of those top four, they most likely would have to trade up into the top three of the first round. With Chicago almost certainly taking Williams and the Washington Commanders needing a signal caller, the New England Patriots at pick three are a team many believe would be willing to trade down.
No one really knows for sure. That includes Telesco.
Like the other 31 teams, the Raiders have preliminary discussions with potential partners. According to Telesco, those conversations are happening, but they’re not concrete or very specific at this time.
“There’s been conversation with other teams, but it’s probably more general than specific,” he said Monday. “It really wouldn’t get more specific until usually like later in the process Tuesday, Wednesday, even Thursday, even sometimes when you’re on the clock. But it’s been about the same amount of work that goes into that.”
This approach of keeping information confidential prevents other teams from predicting their actions, which could put them at a disadvantage when exploring deals.
Raiders’ GM Telesco talks balancing immediate needs, future needs
While the Raiders have glaring needs heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, a general manager should also keep their eye on the future. With attrition and contracts that expire every year, you can’t get caught only thinking one year at a time. Drafting for future needs is also a key strategy heading into Detroit.
“There’s always a short-term look, long-term look to it,” Telesco said. “ I think the thing we have to remember is we’re drafting these players for a minimum of four to five years. We’re drafting them for the future, and that’s what we’re hoping to get out of them. It’s not so much where they fit in initially as a rookie the first year.”
Telesco pointed out just one-third of rookies play a significant number of snaps during their rookie season in the NFL. When looking at college players to bring in, he’s not necessarily looking at what they’ll do in 2024, but over the course of the 4-5 years he has them under contract.
“Whatever needs we may have today, or whatever perceived needs those are, these players were drafting, we’re looking down the road minimum, I’d say four to five years. But whenever we talk about players, we do talk about, ‘Okay, what role would they have right away, what role would they have in the future, and then kind of go off that.’”
Antonio Pierce is proving valuable in player evaluation process
With a new front office and head coach, the Raiders brass is going through the draft process together for the first time. Yet it’s not the first go-around for Telesco, who served in the same position as the San Diego Chargers and then the Los Angeles Chargers for over a decade.
Regarding Pierce’s input, Telesco had high praise for the first-time head coach.
“He’s got a great vision of what he wants in the football team, and he hasn’t deviated from that, which really helps the personnel department as we’re trying to match up players to our football team,” he said of Pierce. “He’s got a great feel for evaluating players, which I’m not surprised by.”
He added since Pierce had most recently coached in college at Arizona State, he knew many of the players coming out in the draft and recruited several of them. The general manager says that’s been helpful in Pierce clearly communicating the type of players he wants.
Monday’s session didn’t give many clues to what the Raiders will do when Thursday comes around, but the insight gained from learning at least a little of what Telesco and the Raiders are thinking heading into a pivotal draft is priceless.