Observations from the Las Vegas Raiders first unofficial 2023 depth chart
Austin Hooper listed at TE1
One of the bigger moves the Raiders made this offseason was trading away star tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants. In return, the Raiders got the No. 100 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, and word out of Giants training camp is that he is a perfect fit for their young quarterback, Daniel Jones.
To fill the void left by both Waller, and his backup, Foster Moreau, the Raiders added Austin Hooper and OJ Howard via free agency. Howard has already been cut by the team, and with the addition of Michael Mayer via the 2023 NFL Draft, it was assumed that the young tight end would slide in as the TE1 in Year 1.
While that could very well still happen, when the first unofficial depth chart was released on Tuesday, Hooper was the first-team tight end, with Mayer as the No. 2. Mayer is clearly ready for the pro game, as he has the size, speed, blocking ability, and hands to be the No. 1 tight end in Las Vegas for a long time, which is why the team traded up to get him on Day 2.