Los Angeles sent defensive end Sean Jones plus second- and…
Los Angeles sent defensive end Sean Jones plus second- and third-round selections to Houston for the ninth pick and additional third- and fourth-round choices. The centerpiece became cornerback Terry McDaniel, a five-time Pro Bowler who intercepted 35 passes in a long Raiders career. The other acquired choices were moved again, but McDaniel's sustained star-level play makes the deal a Raiders success.
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 1988 first round pick (#9-Terry McDaniel)
- pick 1988 third round pick (#74-James Hasty)
- pick 1988 fourth round pick (#102-Barry Helton)
Tennessee Titans Received
- player Sean Jones
- pick 1988 second round pick (#48-Quintin Jones)
- pick 1988 third round pick (#60-Quinn Early)
Trade Analysis
The 1988 exchange moved a large number of assets, but the long-term evaluation comes down mostly to two players. Los Angeles sent defensive end Sean Jones, the No. 48 selection and the No. 60 selection to Houston. In return, the Raiders received the ninth pick, No. 74 and No. 102. The club used No. 9 on Terry McDaniel, while the later choices were subsequently moved in other draft-day transactions.
McDaniel became the defining Raiders return. He developed into a five-time Pro Bowl cornerback, played 152 NFL games and finished with 35 interceptions. For a franchise using a top-ten pick acquired in a veteran trade, that is exactly the kind of high-end, long-term outcome that justifies the move.
Houston also received a player who mattered. Jones had already shown pass-rush ability with the Raiders and went on to record 57.5 sacks across six seasons with the Oilers. He reached the Pro Bowl after a 13-sack 1993 season and gave Houston a productive edge presence through a competitive stretch for the franchise. The other draft capital did not become a comparable long-term foundation; notably, the No. 48 pick ultimately returned to Houston's hands and became Quintin Jones, whose NFL career was brief.
That makes the original deal much closer than a one-sided grade suggests. Houston acquired an excellent veteran and received several productive seasons. Los Angeles, though, turned the premium pick into the most decorated player involved and retained McDaniel for virtually his entire career. The Raiders get the win because five Pro Bowl seasons and exceptional longevity at corner outweigh an already strong Oilers return, not because Houston failed to receive value.