HENDERSON, Nev. — You can call him Trader John.
On Day Two of the NFL Draft, Las Vegas Raiders’ first-year general manager John Spytek showed his wheeling-and-dealing chops with not one but two trades in acquiring additional assets as he sets out to fill a host of needs for the Silver and Black.
First, he dealt the 37th pick to Miami for the 48th, 98th and 135th selections. The Raiders also sent the Dolphins the 143rd pick. Shortly after, Spytek sent that 48th pick to Houston for the Texans’ picks at 58 and 99.
“Well, this happens a lot in day two, I think," Spytek said late Friday night. "People sit around all day and they see the board and theyget anxious and maybe sometimes create urgency, and those picks can get hot. The interesting thing was it was pretty quiet until about when we were on the clock. And we had about three or four different offers that we had to kind of mill through.
"So, big credit to David Christoff and Kunal Singh and Mark Thewes and everybody that supports on that. They ran the numbers great, and we made the best deal that we thought for the Raiders. And I think if you look atthe value of the trade and what we got, we felt pretty good about that.”
With that second-round pick at No. 58, the Raiders took TCU wide receiver Jack Bech. Bech, who is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, had played at LSU prior to transferring to TCU where he had 62 receptions for 1,034 yards and scored nine touchdowns. That got him second-team all-Big 12 honors along with an invitation to the Senior Bowl in January and he wound up being selected as the Most Valuable Player.
“Man, whenever I saw Vegas pop up, my heart dropped,” Bech said. “Man, it was the best feeling ever. I mean being a Raider, I mean, come on. That program, that story. So much history with it. I just can't wait to go put my name into that.
“I just can't wait to come in and work hard each and every day. You know, get there early, stay there late. Get this playbook down first and meet everybody. Like I said, just get to work, show my teammates and show these coaches that the team comes first and that we're about to go win some games.”
If you’re asking yourself, “Hey, don’t the Raiders need help on defense?” it was just a matter of being patient. Spytek answered your concerns by drafting Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter at No. 68.
They went back for offense at No. 98 by taking Texas Tech offensive lineman Caleb Rogers and followed that up with another offensive lineman with the 99th pick by grabbing Charles Grant, a tackle from William & Mary.
Porter had three interceptions for the Cyclones last season. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.3 40-yard dash, which was the third fastest of all participants.
For Bech, being drafted into the NFL comes four-plus months after one of the lowest points of his life when his brother Tiger was killed on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, one of 14 people who died following an attack by a driver in a truck.
“I’ve been through a lot,” Bech said. “I don't even know if there are words to describe this feeling and the emotions that, not only myself, my family, are going through. Just surreal. It wasn't only my dream; it was my brother's dream too. And our dream came true tonight.
“Now I just can't wait to get to work. I can't wait to come up and come start helping this team win as many games as possible.”
Porter, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound corner, started his six-year run at Iowa State as a wide receiver. He got moved to defense in 2022 and he also became a standout player on special teams. He had three blocked points in 2023 and had three interceptions last season.
“I worked my tail off to get where I am now,” Porter said. “I'm looking to contribute immediately. Obviously, we'll have to work and earn that opportunity. But, obviously departing with two corners, it's exciting for me to be put in this position to have that instant contribution on the defensive side.
“But I think I also can add a lot to special teams as well. I've done a lot of special teams and have done some pretty remarkable things in that aspect. So, I'm looking to contribute in any possible way that I can.”
The Raiders still have work to do for Saturday’s final day of the draft. They have two fourth-round selections (Nos. 108 and 135), three sixth-round picks (Nos. 1809, 213 and 215) and one in the seventh round (No. 222).
Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado quarterback who some had projected as the No. 1 overall pick prior to the start of the draft, had not been selected through the first two days. But would the Raiders take him in the fourth round?
When it comes to the draft, you never say never.