Raiders 2023 7-round NFL Mock Draft: Las Vegas moves on from Derek Carr
Raiders 2023 7-round NFL Mock Draft: Las Vegas moves on from Derek Carr
OG. Mountaineers . Doug Nester. 199. player. 877.
Much like the majority of the Raiders offensive line, the guard positions were especially susceptible to high turnover this year. We’ve seen the likes of Dylan Parham, Alex Bars, and Jermaine Simpson all take a crack at the guard positions and the Raiders are clearly in need of a long-term answer there.
This late in the draft you can still find quality interior offensive lineman, and they will look to do just that by grabbing Doug Nester out of West Virginia. Nester is bigger than your average guard at 6-7 and 320lbs and scouts have him anywhere from a fifth-round pick to an undrafted free agent.
After transferring from Virginia Tech before his junior season, Nester has started 24 games for the Mountaineers and has allowed just one sack this season. He still plays with good leverage despite his height and has impressive strength and flexibility. Though he looks more like a tackle than a guard most of his experience has been in the interior at right guard.
Nester is a mauler in the run game but will need to improve his foot work to be a competent pass protector at the NFL level. Guys taken this late are generally projects but there is plenty to work with here for the Raiders offensive staff.