3 current Las Vegas Raiders that were losers from the 2023 NFL Draft
By Brad Weiss
3 current Las Vegas Raiders that were losers from the 2023 NFL Draft
1. Austin Hooper, TE
One of the biggest moves of the Raiders offense came when the team traded away Darren Waller to the New York Giants. That move left a gaping hole on the roster at the tight end position, one that was filled in free agency with veterans Austin Hooper and OJ Howard.
Going into the draft, Hooper was seen by many as the new TE1 in Las Vegas, but when the team traded up in the second round for Michael Mayer, it changed some things. Mayer has a perfect skill set to be a starter for head coach Josh McDaniels, and that could mean a slide down the depth chart for Hooper.
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You could say that both Hooper and Howard were losers by the Raiders trading up for Mayer, who was widely considered the best player at the position group in this year's draft class. Hooper will have a role with the 2023 Raiders, it will just be a lot smaller than it would have been if the Raiders did not spend elite draft capital on the former Notre Dame star.