Las Vegas Raiders 2023 NFL Mock Draft: David Ziegler executes massive Day 1 trade

Raiders 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Ziegler executes massive Day 1 trade

46 Drew Sanders LB | Arkansas TRADE

With the first of the picks acquired from the Patriots in the day one trade, the Raiders select linebacker Drew Sanders out of Arkansas. Sanders is a top 10 off ball linebacker prospect and with stars Trenton Simpson and Jack Campbell off the board, he makes perfect sense at 46th overall.

Sanders has solid measurables at 6-4 and 235 lb and he ran a very respectable 40 at 4.59 seconds and his broad and vertical jump numbers were decent as well. He is not as explosive as Jack Campbell but he does have more pure speed than the Iowa star with a similar body type.

The Raiders are quite thin at linebacker as of today and need some help at that position. Sanders is versatile enough to play as an edge rusher but has the speed to play in coverage as well  and can be the long-term answer at middle linebacker. A combinat and of Sanders and Divine Deablo would give the Raiders one of the more athletic linebacker pairings in the NFL and could help them finally be able to cover tight ends.