NFL trade grade: Raiders, Browns clarify QB rooms with Kenny Pickett swap

When the Cleveland Browns chose to select both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft, it felt like a matter of when, not if, one of the four quarterbacks on their roster would get traded. Sure enough, the Browns have reportedly sent Kenny Pickett off to the Las Vegas Raiders per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

This comes as little surprise. The Browns named veteran Joe Flacco their starter, and with both Gabriel and Sanders being recent draftees, Pickett felt like the clear odd-man out. Now, with this trade, not only does the Browns QB room get some clarity with three individuals in the mix, but the Raiders get their backup quarterback with Aidan O'Connell currently nursing an injury.

Browns, Raiders get QB clarity thanks to Kenny Pickett trade

1. Browns solidify QB room by trading Kenny Pickett
2. Kenny Pickett gives Raiders a serviceable backup
3. NFL trade grades: Who won the Kenny Pickett deal?

The Raiders parted with a 2026 fifth-round pick to acquire Pickett in the deal.

Browns solidify QB room by trading Kenny Pickett

When the Browns acquired Pickett, it felt as if they were going to give him a chance to re-establish himself as a starting-caliber quarterback. Well, bringing Flacco, a quarterback who led the Browns to the playoffs just a couple of years ago, back, and adding two young quarterbacks in the draft, made Pickett's role unclear.

At the end of the day, rostering four quarterbacks on a 53-man roster is just unfeasible. It would've been nice to have seen what Pickett could do, but injury kept him sidelined throughout the preseason, and again, he didn't have much of a use to Cleveland.

Ultimately, while it would've been nice to have seen Pickett stick around, the Browns didn't lose anything. They gave up a 2025 fifth-round pick to acquire him, and they got a 2026 fifth-round pick in return. All Browns fans can hope for is that Pickett doesn't make them pay in Las Vegas.

Kenny Pickett gives Raiders a serviceable backup

Aidan O'Connell's broken wrist left the Raiders in a bit of a bind. Geno Smith is their starter, but O'Connell was supposed to be the backup. Cam Miller, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, impressed in the Raiders' preseason opener, but he struggled in each of the team's next two games making it clear that he's not ready to be a backup right now.

It remains to be seen whether the Raiders choose to keep Miller around as their QB3, but regardless, they needed a reliable option to be under center in the event that Smith had to miss time. Pickett might not have been worth a first-round pick, and the jury is still out regarding his ability to start, but he can, at the very least, be a game manager for the Raiders in a pinch.

Giving up a fifth-round pick for some certainty at the most important position of all of sport is a small price to pay. It would've been nice for O'Connell to have stayed healthy and taken that spot, but pivoting to Pickett was shrewd business by John Spytek and Co., and I'd argue he's a tier above O'Connell as a quarterback.

NFL trade grades: Who won the Kenny Pickett deal?

Is it too much of a copout to say both teams won this trade? I mean, the Browns had no need for four quarterbacks, and getting something for the odd-man out makes a lot of sense. The Raiders needed a quarterback and didn't have to give up too much to get a serviceable one.

If I had to pick, I'd say the Browns won this deal ever so slightly. They managed to get a usable pick for a player who, if we're being honest, they could've cut if nobody wanted to trade for him. The Raiders did well for pivoting, but the fact that they had to make this deal to begin with was an unfortunate outcome.

Browns trade grade: B-
Raiders trade grade: C+