Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates as the Steelers prepare to punt in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. The Bengals won 19-17 to finish the regular season at 9-8. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Analyst Predicts Raiders Will Trade for Hendrickson

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Mar 11, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have lost a lot of defensive pieces to free agency. Players like Trevon Moehrig, Nate Hobbs, and Robert Spillane have all signed multi-year deals with other teams. They're also expected to lose more defensive pieces in free agency.

While they have lost players, they've also made it their priority to give contracts to players they believe can help out on defense. They gave Jeremy Chinn a two-year contract, as well as re-signing Malcolm Koonce to a one-year deal.

Those players project to boost their defense, but they don't make up for the sheer amount of starters they've lost and will continue to lose in free agency. Rumors have circulated that the Raiders are looking to trade second-year player Michael Mayer.

Mayer was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft and was drafted with the expectation that he could be their tight end of the future. That was until last year's draft, where the Raiders couldn't pass up on the talent that was Brock Bowers.

After Bower's emergence as an offensive powerhouse, Mayer's role in the offense quickly diminished, and now he's on the verge of playing for his next team. The Raiders could keep him on the roster as a backup, but they're looking to get some draft compensation for him.

According to Brent Hertzenberg, the Raiders should trade Mayer to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for their star pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson. The Raiders would send Mayer to the Bengals as well as their third-round pick this year and extend Hendrickson to a two-year deal.

"The Raiders need to be elite in at least one area as a team. With Hendrickson teaming up with Crosby, they have the best duo in the NFL for chasing down Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix", said Hertzenberg.

Despite giving contracts to other free agents, the Raiders still have enough cap space to make this trade. Alongside Koonce, Maxx Crosby, and Christian Wilkins, Hendrickson would make their defensive line the best in the league, especially after the Eagles' defensive line has gotten dismantled in free agency.

This, alongside a potential defensive draft pick, would make the Raiders arguably have the best defense in the entire NFL, despite losing so many key pieces in free agency. This hypothetical defense alongside Geno Smith would propel them to playoff contention for the first time in years.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: