The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and in the end, the nine-player haul by the Las Vegas Raiders could end up being a special one.
During the 2023 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected nine players, three short of the original 12-player haul they went into the draft having. General manager Dave Ziegler used his massive draft capital to move up on multiple occasions across the three-day event, bringing in a 2023 NFL Draft class that could be very special down the road.
Tyree Wilson is an edge rusher that should flourish playing across from Maxx Crosby, and second-round pick, Michael Mayer, has the perfect skill set for Josh McDaniels's offense. He was the first player Ziegler and his staff went up to get, but that would kick start a trend that lasted across the final two days of the event.
Raiders added a strong haul via the 2023 NFL Draft
In the end, Las Vegas got better on defense, brought in a playmaker at tight end, and in the end, Ziegler filled some massive needs on the roster.
Recently, CBS Sports ranked all 32 draft classes from the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Silver and Black came up as No. 8 overall. In addition, Chris Trapasso from CBS Sports also posted that Jakorian Bennett could be a huge draft steal in this draft class, stating he has the ability, and opportunity to play right away.
Byron Young from Alabama is a solid defensive tackle that can also run the passer, and despite being a head-scratcher at the time, Tee Tucker can help the Raiders in the passing attack, and on special teams. Quarterback Aidan O'Connell will learn behind Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer, putting him in a great spot to grow in the position, and Bennett could be a playmaker at cornerback.
In the fifth round, Christopher Smith II was a unanimous All-American last year for Georgia, helping them to back-to-back national titles, and Amari Burney and Nesta Jade Silvera could crack roster spots this summer as well.