Las Vegas Raiders: 2023 post-minicamp 53-man roster prediction
By Brad Weiss
Raiders Defensive Line (9): Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones, Tyree Wilson, Jerry Tillery, Byron Young, Bilal Nichols, Neil Farrell Jr., Malcolm Butler, Malcolm Koonce
With the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Raiders brought in a defensive lineman, but it was not a defensive tackle, which was regarded as one of their biggest needs. Instead of going with Jalen Carter, the Raiders selected Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech, one of the elite edge rushers in this draft class.
Wilson joins a position group headlined by one of the best in football in Maxx Crosby, who has become a bonafide star since being taken on Day 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft. Chandler Jones is hoping for a bounce-back season in Year 2 with the Raiders and looks a lot leaner this summer, but the most significant questions will come in the interior of this defensive line.
In the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Raiders did finally select a defensive tackle, adding Byron Young from Alabama. He will battle for playing time at defensive tackle with the likes of veterans Jerry Tillery and Bilal Nichols, as well as second-year Raiders in Neil Farrell Jr. and Malcolm Butler. Overall, this is an interesting position group to watch this summer.