Raiders Land Former First-Round CB in Preseason Trade Proposal

With a new head coach-quarterback combination at the helm, the Las Vegas Raiders expect improvement in 2025-26. The upcoming season is a massive barometer for where the franchise is headed, and that isn’t just on the offensive side of the ball.

Las Vegas’ defense is equally important. It’s a unit that’s struggled a bit, and there’s a case to be made that an external acquisition makes sense. With the preseason coming to a close, that’s exactly what Bleacher Report is proposing.

In a story listing one trade each team should make before Week 1, Alex Kay has the Raiders shipping a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for cornerback Greg Newsome II.

Proposed Trade Sends Former First-Round CB Greg Newsome II to Raiders

Kay believes the Raiders “need to reinforce the secondary” to compete within the AFC West. Enter Newsome, a former first-round pick.

“Greg Newsome II fits the bill as a proven veteran with the potential to anchor a starting outside cornerback spot,” Kay wrote. “While he struggled last year and has an expensive contract—he’s due over $13 million in 2025 on his fifth-year option—the Raiders have the cap space to absorb that deal. There’s still upside in this move for Vegas as well. Newsome is a 2021 first-round pick who is still just 25 years old. If he shows out in Sin City, he could stick around on a long-term extension.”

It feels like forever ago that Newsome entered the league. In reality, he’s only been in the NFL since 2021. His best year was undoubtedly 2023-24, when he posted great box score numbers (49 tackles, 4 TFLs, 14 pass breakups and 2 interceptions) to go with a career-best 74.6 Pro Football Focus coverage grade. He did all of that despite battling injuries.

Newsome’s production cratered last year, though. He set a career-low for tackles (27) and ranked as PFF’s No. 177 corner out of 222 players. His coverage grade wasn’t much better, slotting in at 163rd. With that said, he is a potential candidate to buy low on. He’s capable of playing both on the outside or in a nickel role and won’t turn 26 until next May.

From a financial perspective, Kay is right. The Raiders have the room to welcome someone like Newsome into the fold and even extend him down the line. According to Over The Cap, their current 2025 cap space sits at just under $35 million. In 2026, that’s slated to rise to over $78M without factoring in pending free agents.

Updated Look at Vegas’ Secondary as Preseason Winds Down

At this point, the Raiders should take what they can get at cornerback. This isn’t the first instance of an outlet pitching an add for them, and it surely won’t be the last. According to SumerSports, Patrick Graham’s unit ranked 16th in EPA/play surrendered last year but was an ugly 25th against the pass. That won’t cut it in 2025.

Leading the cornerback group is offseason signing Eric Stokes. He’s expected to help bring about some change in the secondary. Complementing him is some combination of Decamerion Richardson, Kyu Blu Kelly and rookie third-round pick Darien Porter. Kelly’s offseason ascension has been a sight to see, and a pleasant one if you’re a Raiders fan. He’s still far from a proven player, though.

At safety, a pair of offseason signings will help solidify the back end of Marcus Robertson’s group. The duo of Terrell Edmunds and Jeremy Chinn figures to be formidable. Elsewhere, 2023 fifth-round pick Chris Smith II and 2022 signing Isaiah Pola-Mao hold favorable outlooks to make the team and play supporting roles over the next handful of months.

It’s still a somewhat unassuming collective, however, which leaves room for an addition. Should Newsome be that player? That’s up for debate.