Raiders 2022 NFL draft: 3 surprising picks in the 3rd Round

When it comes to which player the Las Vegas Raiders should target with their first selection in the 2022 NFL draft, an offensive lineman is typically the first thing that comes to mind. Who are some of the other possible options, though? 

When the Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2022 off-season, there was no shortage of holes to repair, from starting talent to depth. Two waves of free agency later, the Raiders’ new front office touched on just about everything they had to address, outside of the team’s offensive line.

With that being the case, all things point to the most likely scenario being an offensive lineman drafted when it’s time for Las Vegas to make their first selection; A scenario that wouldn’t shock anyone.

What I want to discuss here is the opposite of that – Selections in the third round, where the Raiders currently hold their first pick in the 2022 draft, that not too many people would expect to happen.

Some of the positions these players play may be deemed as “less of a priority”, and understandably so. After all, if you gloss at the offensive line, you’ll notice the only new face this year is Alex Bars, who scored a PFF grade just 1.2 higher than Cory Littleton.

Even still, all three of these choices would offer a lot to the Silver and Black, helping them take this to the next level. While the offensive line is still priority number one, it never hurts to explore your options and potentially maximize value elsewhere.