Las Vegas Raiders 2023 NFL Draft: Is this the year the franchise gets in right on Day 1?
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but will they capitalize on such a high pick this April?
Throughout the tenure of Mike Mayock as general manager of the Raiders franchise, the Raiders swung and missed in a big way on Day 1 of the NFL Draft. Remember, this is a guy who had five first-round picks across the 2019 and 2020 NFL Draft, and all the team really yielded was a Pro Bowl running back in Josh Jacobs.
It was not all Mayock’s fault, as Jon Gruden had the final say in everything that the franchise did during his second go-around with the Raiders. After a terrible first-round run, the franchise will get their first look at what David Ziegler can do with a Day 1 pick, as he did not have one in his first offseason, trading the team’s first and second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to the Green Bay Packers for Davante Adams.
As it stands, Las Vegas holds the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, this after racking up a dreadful 6-11 record during the 2022 campaign. It will be up to Ziegler and his staff to turn this thing around, and hitting a home run on Day 1 this April will go a long way in them revamping this roster for the long run.
Of course, Las Vegas could decide to trade down on Day 1, moving out of the No. 7 overall pick, and possibly getting their next franchise quarterback in Anthony Richardson. Without Carr, the quarterback spot is an issue, but the team is likely to have filled that role with a veteran before the draft rolls around.
Looking at the roster, they need help everywhere.
Raiders have more than a few holes to fill
Luckily for Ziegler and company, the Raiders’ needs could be fulfilled with several different options, as there are quality offensive and defensive linemen, defensive backs, and even quarterbacks that are expected to come off the board in the top 10 picks. Las Vegas goes into this offseason with holes up and down the roster, so trading back for some extra draft capital may not be a bad idea either.
The fan base is just hoping that the team can actually do their research, and bring in a Day 1 starter with such a high draft pick in 2023. The 2022 draft class was nothing to write home about, but this is different, as the team holds several top-100 draft picks, and must find a way to bring in playmakers with each of them.