Las Vegas Raiders 3-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Early FA edition
By tbrewer
With the new league year kicking off on Wednesday, we take a look at a three-round Las Vegas Raiders 2023 NFL Mock Draft.
With the NFL draft a little more than a month away and the NFL Scouting Combine just finishing up over a week ago, it’s safe to say the Las Vegas Raiders front office has been busy scouting collegiate players. The Raiders desperately need help on both sides of the football and could utilize a mixture of veterans in the free agency along with youth in the Draft.
The Raiders were competitive at times last season but ultimately finished 6-11 and third in the AFC West. It’s clear the organization needs to improve at several key positions to compete within the division.
Las Vegas will have 12 picks in this year’s Draft, and with holes on the offensive line, tight-end, defensive line, linebacker, and defensive back, it’s essential the front office hit on their selections. For several weeks mock drafts have had the Raiders nabbing a top quarterback prospect in the first round.
However, with the recent signing of Jimmy Garappolo, Vegas might head in a different direction. Recent reports have surfaced that Vegas was trying to trade up to get the first overall pick from the Chicago Bears. Ultimately, the Carolina Panthers swooped in and made an offer that the Bears couldn’t refuse and will be picking first overall.
With the Panthers, Texans, and Colts all likely taking quarterbacks, the Raiders won’t have a chance at this year’s top QB prospect unless the team trades up. At this point, with the Raiders needing so much help on either side of the ball, it makes the most sense to take the best player available.