Raiders Rumors: Oakland Isn't Expected to Trade Up from No. 4 for Kyler Murray

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said during an appearance on Monday's Get Up! that Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden "loves" Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray and "does not necessarily love Derek Carr, I'm told, which is going to be the interesting thing to see."

But in his latest draft article, McShay said he was hearing the team wouldn't trade up to select Murray.

"Sources I have talked to think Oakland stays home at No. 4 and takes an impact defensive lineman such as [Quinnen] Williams or [Ed] Oliver, or perhaps [Josh] Allen if he's still on the board," he wrote. "But I've also heard LSU linebacker Devin White's name mentioned. If Oakland stays put, it will get a top player for its defense."

With three first-round picks (Nos. 4, 24 and 27) and a second-rounder (No. 35), the Raiders certainly have the ammunition to trade up to No. 1 overall if they covet Murray. But while there have been reports that the Cardinals may not be interested in drafting Murray, the overall consensus continues to be that they'll go that route and trade Josh Rosen.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., for instance, said on Monday's First Take that there's a "99.9 percent" chance the Cardinals will draft Murray with the top overall pick.

And a number of recent mock drafts have Murray going No. 1, including those from the B/R NFL staff, Peter King of Pro Football Talk, Albert Breer of SI.com and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today.

There have been reports to the contrary, however, and some doubt is creeping in that Murray will be Arizona's pick:

And if Murray does fall to No. 4, the Raiders could swoop in and land him without giving up anything in return:

Regardless, the Raiders' rumored interest in Murray will be a moot point if the Cardinals love him and aren't interested in trading out of the top overall selection. And the Raiders may prefer to stay put in the draft, add four top-35 players in this year's draft around Carr and see if the quarterback can produce with an improved roster around him, much as he did in the 2015-16 seasons when he looked like one of the emerging stars at the position. 

There are a lot of moving pieces at play here, and if the Raiders really do love Murray, they would have a fascinating decision on their hands if he fell to them at No. 4. That would be a moment of truth for Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock.

But assuming he doesn't, the logical decision seems to be holding onto their picks and seeing what they have for another season in Carr. He has actual weapons on the roster like Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams alongside a stout left tackle in Trent Brown and whatever players the Raiders add in the draft. That simply hasn't been the case in recent years.