Jets, Broncos, Raiders turned down 2025 1st Round Pick
Just about every year in the NFL Draft, some huge trades are offered but never come to fruition. This past April, one of those deals was out there but declined. League sources say an NFC team offered their 2025 first-round pick to the New York Jets at pick 11, the Denver Broncos at pick 12, and the Raiders at pick 13, but all three of those teams turned the trade down. They would have moved down in the first round and picked up a 2025 first-round pick, but they all declined the deal.
The Jets are a surprising team to have turned down, moving down in the first round and picking up a 2025 first-round pick. New York stayed at pick 11 and selected Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu. Fashanu is slated to back up Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, who are entering this season. The Jets could have moved down, get the 2025 first-rounder, and still selected some tackle insurance in the form of prospects like Tyler Guyton, Jordan Morgan, Patrick Paul, Blake Fisher, or Kingsley Suamataia. Considering the age of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it is surprising that general manager Joe Douglas turned down having multiple first-round picks in 2025.
The Broncos are more understandable as to why they declined the trade down. Denver was targeting quarterback Bo Nix, and there are zero assurances that he would get to a pick later in the first round. The Raiders could have feasibly taken him at pick 13. There were rumors of the Rams liking Nix, and another team could always trade up for a quarterback. Denver didn’t want to leave it to chance and risk not getting the quarterback that Sean Payton wanted.
It’s very surprising the Raiders didn’t take the trade. Las Vegas could easily be in the market for a long-term starter at quarterback. Veteran Gardner Minshew and second-year pro Aidan O’Connell are not locks to be the franchise quarterback for head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco. In fact, I have the Raiders going for a new quarterback in my latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft. Having two first-round picks next year would make it much easier for general manager Tom Telesco to move up in the first round for a quarterback if necessary. Las Vegas also has a lot of holes on their roster, so Telesco still could have come away with a starter upgrade later in the first round. But evidently, their love of Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was so great they decided not to have two first-round picks next April.
Depending on how this season goes, there could be some regret for passing on having multiple first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft for the Jets, Broncos, and Raiders.
