3 Players the Las Vegas Raiders could regret passing on in Round 1
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Tyree Wilson at No. 7 overall, but here are three players they could regret passing on in the first round.
With Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft in the books, the Las Vegas Raiders find themselves a lot stronger coming off the edge after adding Tyree Wilson. Some scouts believe that Wilson is the best outside backer in the class, and has a higher ceiling than Will Anderson Jr., so to get him at No. 7 overall could end up being a steal.
However, Wilson does not fill a huge void on the Raiders defense, and looking ahead, it will be questioned whether or not Dave Ziegler made the right move in the first round. There were still plenty of players that filled a position of need for Las Vegas available, so the critics are already out there regarding the pick.
Here, we look at three players Las Vegas could regret passing on in the first round.
3 Players the Las Vegas Raiders could regret passing on in Round 1
1. Jalen Carter
One of the biggest storylines of the draft season was Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who has the skill set to be a generational talent, but had issues off the field, and appeared out of shape during workouts. That led to him falling to No. 9 overall to Philadelphia, a wild slide for a player many felt was the best overall talent in the draft class.
Defensive tackle is a big issue for the Raiders right now, and Carter could have come in and been an impact player right away. His presence would have taken a lot of pressure off of Maxx Crosby coming off the edge, while giving Las Vegas not only a run-stuffer, but someone who can get after the quarterback as well.
2. Christian Gonzalez
Going into the 2023 NFL Draft, there were two names at the cornerback position that stood out, Christian Gonzalez from Oregon, and Devon Witherspoon from Illinois. Witherspoon would go No. 5 overall to the Seattle Seahawks, but two picks later, Las Vegas had a chance to bolster the cornerback room with Gonzalez.
Las Vegas decided on Wilson, and Gonzalez would slide all the way down to No. 17, becoming the third cornerback taken after Witherspoon, and Emmanuel Forbes. Gonzalez could end up being a shutdown cornerback at the next level, which would make passing him up even more devastating for Raiders fans.
3. Peter Skoronski
Peter Skoronski was the No. 11 overall selection on Thursday night, landing with the Tennessee Titans. While not a true top-10 pick, Skoronski was seen as the best interior offensive line prospect in this year's draft class, which is a position of need for the Raiders.
Skoronski played all over the offensive line in college at Northwestern, but many feel he will slide in as a guard at the next level. With Las Vegas, he would have battled for a starting job in Year 1, and likely have been a cornerstone offensive lineman for the Silver and Black going forward.