1 Prospect in each round that the Raiders might regret passing on
By Brad Weiss
Round three: The Las Vegas Raiders may regret passing on Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
The Las Vegas Raiders got the party started early on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, trading up for Notre Dame star tight end Michael Mayer. In the third round, the Silver and Black held two picks, one at No. 70 overall, and another towards the bottom at selection No. 100.
The pick at No. 70 was Byron Young, a talented defensive tackle that filled an immediate void on the Raiders defense. However, nine picks later, Josh Downs from North Carolina was selected, and if the Raiders were going to pick a wideout in the third, he would have been a much better selection than Tre Tucker.
By picking Downs at No. 70, the Raiders could have addressed other areas of need at No. 100, and not made the head-scratching pick of Tucker. Downs was mocked by many experts as a potential first round pick, or even a second-round selection, and should be a favorite target in Indianapolis for rookie quarterback, Anthony Richardson.