Las Vegas Raiders must have QB spot in place before 2023 NFL Draft
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and they must have their quarterback spot figured out before selecting.
The 2023 NFL Draft will be the first draft that Las Vegas Raiders general manager holds a first-round pick. Last offseason, David Ziegler traded away their first and second-round picks to Green Bay for wide receiver Davante Adams, who went on to have one of the greatest receiving seasons in franchise history.
This April, Ziegler and his staff have to prove that they can right the wrongs made by the previous regime on Day 1 of the draft. The Raiders franchise held incredible draft capital under Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, including five first-rounders in 2019 and 2020, and only Josh Jacobs has proven to be a pick worthy of a round one selection.
Most teams that finish with only six wins, and hold a top-10 pick will be looking closely at the quarterback spot, but Las Vegas should have that taken care of before the draft. Selecting a quarterback in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft does not make much sense when you look at the current roster, so getting a veteran in free agency or via trade prior to April should be priority No. 1 for Las Vegas.
Raiders must upgrade the defense or the offensive line at No. 7
If the Silver and Black have their quarterback in place for 2023, they can turn their attention to fixing some of the bigger issues on this roster. The offensive line needs to be a real priority this offseason, especially if the team is able to bring in Tom Brady at quarterback, and the defense is going to need help on all three levels.
Looking at this year’s draft class, there are some quality players the Raiders could bring in with pick No. 7, including elite offensive line prospects like Peter Skoronski from Northwestern, and Paris Johnson Jr. from Ohio State. On defense, the key player they should have their eyes on is Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who fixes the biggest hole along their defensive line.
The secondary is also an issue, and with this year’s class boasting cornerbacks like Joey Porter Jr., Kelee Ringo, and Christian Gonzalez, help could be on the way. Edge rushers like Myles Murphy and Tyree Wilson would be an upgrade, and Bryan Bresee is another defensive tackle to keep an eye on at No. 7.
Las Vegas has the luxury of being able to bring in a quarterback via trade or free agency and really hit a home run with their No. 7 overall pick. Of course, this is a franchise that has struggled to pick in the top 10 in recent years, so it is anybody’s guess as to what will go down on night one in a few months.