Las Vegas Raiders 2023 NFL Draft: Christian Gonzalez vs Devon Witherspoon
By Brad Weiss
Going into the 2023 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders have some glaring needs, and the cornerback position remains one of them.
The Las Vegas Raiders play in a division that boasts some of the best quarterback talent in the entire NFL. When all is said and done, all three of the other AFC West quarterbacks could be enshrined in Canton, as Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, and Russell Wilson are on that trajectory.
To succeed in the AFC West, you have to be elite on defense, especially in the secondary, which is why the Raiders have long struggled to win the division. Las Vegas has significant issues at both cornerback and safety going into the 2023 NFL Draft, but the biggest need may be adding an elite cornerback in the first round.
Luckily for the Silver and Black, this year's draft class is loaded at the position group, and at the top are two players who could help this defense in a big way, immediately.
Raiders would hit jackpot with Devon Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez
Looking at this year's draft class, two names stand above the rest in terms of the cornerback position. Devon Witherspoon from Illinois and Christian Gonzalez from Oregon are the 1A and 1B in this year's class at the position group, and either would be a welcome addition to the Silver and Black.
Both players bring something special to the table, and based on what the Raiders front office values, either player would come in and slide right into the starting lineup. Gonzalez has excellent speed for a guy his size, and is long and explosive, while Witherspoon is a menacing presence, not only having the ability to cover, but also loves to come up and make the big hit.
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There is no doubt that cornerback should be the priority at No. 7 overall, and if the Raiders feel the need to drop back in the first, they could still add a tremendous talent in players like Joey Porter Jr., Deonte Banks, and even Cam Smith. If they can add a cornerback with one of their first two picks this April, the position group as a whole could finally go from a weakness to a strength.