Since Reggie McKenzie became the general manager of the Oakland Raiders in 2012 he has generally held on to most of his draft picks. That could change later this week.
McKenzie said Friday that he would be willing to listen to offers for Oakland's No. 4 overall pick, though that doesn't mean he is actively shopping it.
"I'm always open but it has to be the right deal," McKenzie said. "And it depends on the player who's there at your pick. There's a lot that factors into that but the phone lines are always open. You hear everybody out. If it makes sense, if it's going to help the Raiders, we'll do a deal."
The Raiders have most commonly been linked to Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper and USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams with their top five pick. Neither McKenzie nor head coach Jack Del Rio were willing to discuss either prospect in a recent press conference.
"It's not our job to prepare other people around the league for the draft," Del Rio said.
This isn't a surprise. Most teams across the league surround their draft plans in mystery. Loose lips sink ships, after all. McKenzie wouldn't make any concrete statements on the team's need for a wide receiver or pass-rusher.
"We don't want to just throw out the information of what we need but there are some good players in this draft and we will get some of those guys," McKenzie said.
The Raiders haven't enjoyed a winning season since 2003. Normally, that would put a lot of pressure on a front office to make a splash with their first pick. But McKenzie is playing it cool.
"We just want to get it right," he said. "We want to get the player that we feel can best help our team, and that's what we're going to do. Whether there's pressure or not, I want to him on my seventh-round pick too."
The NFL Draft will begin this Thursday.
