Raiders 2023 NFL Draft: Will David Ziegler trade his top-2 picks again?
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders may want to move up to the No. 3 overall pick this April, but is David Ziegler prepared to send away his top-2 picks again?
We are a month away from the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Las Vegas Raiders have been busy building up their roster in free agency. While there have not been many big-name signings, they have shored up some of the issues on their roster, and go into the 2023 NFL Draft with some major draft capital.
As it stands, Las Vegas will pick five times within the first 109 selections in the first two days, giving them the kind of draft capital they need to continue the rebuild. Las Vegas was a playoff team back in 2021, but since then, they have revamped both the roster, coaching staff, and front office.
Now, general manager David Ziegler enters his second NFL Draft season, and last year, he traded away his first and second-round picks to Green Bay for Davante Adams. In 2023, he may have to swing another big deal to move up to No. 3 overall, especially if he wants to get one of the top-3 quarterbacks in this year’s draft class.
Raiders would send high draft capital to the Cardinals
Looking at the first five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, Carolina has already traded up to No. 1 to secure a quarterback, and Houston, sitting at No. 2, desperately needs to turn the page at the position as well. Arizona is in a great spot at No. 3, as they have a franchise guy in Kyler Murray, and will have no shortage of suitors for the pick heading into Day 1.
That is where this gets tricky for Las Vegas, as Indianapolis needs a quarterback, and they hold the No. 4 overall pick, while teams like the New York Jets, Tennessee, and even Washington could try to shoot up the draft board. To get the No. 3 pick, they may have to send their first and second-round picks this year, and possibly a second-rounder next year to secure the selection.
Of course, unlike last year, Ziegler would still hold a first-round pick in this scenario, just not his own. For the second-year general manager, this would be his first time ever picking on Day 1, and for a franchise that has struggled in the first-round in recent memory, he has to get it right.
If Arizona has more than one suitor, there could be even more to be sent to the Cardinals, including a third-round pick in 2023 or 2024. Of course, the only way Ziegler does this is if there is a quarterback he truly wants to be the franchise guy for the next ten years plus.
Las Vegas is also in a good position on Day 1 because they could also trade back in the first round, collecting some more draft capital as they build up this roster for the long haul. Positions of need could be fixed later in the first round, so keep an eye on what Ziegler decides to do across the next few weeks.