Raiders 2023 NFL Draft: Las Vegas trades up to 104 to select Jakorian Bennett
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders traded up in the fourth round to select Maryland defensive back Jakorian Bennett at No. 104 overall.
It did not take long for the fireworks to start for the Las Vegas Raiders on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Before a pick was even selected on Day 3, there was a flurry of trades, as the Silver and Black swung a deal with the Houston Texans for pick No. 104 overall.
Originally, Las Vegas was slated to pick at No. 109 overall, so it was apparent that they had a specific player in mind to move up five spots. As soon as the New Orleans Saints made their pick to kick off the day, it seemed the Raiders pick was immediately in, and the selection was Maryland defensive back Jakorian Bennett.
Going into Day 3, we put together a piece stating that the Raiders needed to address the defensive backfield early on, and they certainly did so by drafting Bennett. Bennett is a ball-hawking cornerback who is more of a slot corner, so it will be interesting to see where he slides into a secondary that has a strong slot corner in Nate Hobbs.
Raiders just getting started on Day 3
Make no mistake about it, the selection of Bennett was an outstanding one for a franchise that needed to upgrade in the secondary heading into 2023. The Raiders play in a division loaded with future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, so the fact that it took until Day 3 to bring in a defensive back was pretty surprising.
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Bennett is going to challenge for a starting job right out of the gate at the next level, as he already has NFL size, and is a playmaker in the defensive backfield. This was a strong opening pick for the Silver and Black, who still have six more selections to go before the end of the three-day NFL Draft.