3 Raiders Trade Targets After Week 2

The Las Vegas Raiders started the season strong, but a 38-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 served as a reality check.

However, there are still positive takeaways from the team's start to the season. Jimmy Garoppolo was efficient in the first week of the season against the Denver Broncos, and the team showed it's not one of the worst in the league despite Sunday's blowout loss.

The loss to the Bills showed everything that could go wrong with this team, though. Garoppolo threw two picks, and the defense looked as bad as it did last season in giving up 38 points and 450 yards.

If this is a team that's going to be competitive this season, it's going to need reinforcements.

Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler have to show some signs of progress in Year 2 under their watch. Here are three trade targets who could help them do that and improve their job security.

Edge Danielle Hunter

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 14: Danielle Hunter #99 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 14, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The Raiders have attempted to bolster their pass rush in each of the last two offseasons.

Signing Chandler Jones was supposed to give them another top pass-rusher to pair with Maxx Crosby, and they drafted Tyree Wilson in the first round this year with the same end in mind.

Jones was a disappointment last season, and the relationship between the player and the club has clearly deteriorated. He has been inactive for both games this season, so it's probably time to start considering what the team can do to fill his role.

Making a move to acquire a veteran like Danielle Hunter would not only provide Crosby with a dynamic partner on the defensive line, but it would also give the Raiders defense a chance to be better this season.

Hunter, 28, is in the final year of his current contract with the Minnesota Vikings. If they trade him this season, it would save $11.5 million against the cap. With a contract extension for Justin Jefferson looming, they need to save all the money they can.

Part of the allure of drafting Wilson was his positional versatility. He has the size to kick inside as an interior pass-rusher, which leaves the Raiders with the option of playing two true edge players with him and creating some exotic pass-rush looks.

It's time to acknowledge the Jones signing was a mistake and do something that will allow the team to move on.

LB Patrick Queen

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 27: Patrick Queen #6 of the Baltimore Ravens defends in pass coverage during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 27, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Patrick Queen remains one of the most interesting speculative trade targets.

The Ravens might be happy to wait on the compensatory formula to bring them back a third-rounder for the linebacker, but they could get that pick a year early or get something higher for the fourth-year player in a trade.

The 24-year-old is playing well right now. He's a strong blitzer and a sturdier run defender than any of the Raiders linebackers right now. However, the Ravens' moves have indicated that he isn't part of their long-term plan.

They traded for Roquan Smith and gave him a new contract last season and declined Queen's fifth-year option. Then, they drafted Trenton Simpson in this year's draft as an eventual replacement for the LSU product.

While Queen is a luxury on the Ravens defense, he would be a foundational piece in the middle for the Raiders.

It would take a good draft pick or multiple selections to get him to Vegas, but this is a team that has to find some solid answers on its defense.

CB Adoree' Jackson

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

New York Giants' Adoree' Jackson arrives on the field before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

The Raiders are leaning heavily on fourth-round rookie cornerback Jakorian Bennett to start opposite Marcus Peters, but it's a role the first-year player probably isn't ready for.

Through two games, the 23-year-old has allowed 12 catches on 13 targets for 134 yards and a touchdown. Teams have picked on him in coverage, which isn't good for the rookie fourth-rounder or the development of the defense.

If the Raiders had better in-house options, they would have started them. The team had one of the worst secondaries in the league last season and made moves to reinvent the position group this offseason.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the work is complete.

Adoree' Jackson is set to be a free agent in 2024 and is off to a rough start with the Giants. He's earned a 45.7 grade from PFF, which ranks 89th among corners this season.

Some of his best work with the Giants came when Patrick Graham was the defensive coordinator. Now that the 44-year-old is in that role with the Raiders, it would make sense to see if the Giants want to get a pick out of Jackson right now.