The Las Vegas Raiders did not address the offensive line in the 2023 NFL Draft, but the 2024 NFL Draft has some elite OTs waiting.
The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and despite the fact the Las Vegas Raiders needed help along the offensive line, they decided to pass on drafting a single offensive lineman. Instead, the team decided this offseason to re-sign the likes of Alex Bars and Jermaine Eluemunor as free agents, and bring in Dalton Wagner and McClendon Curtis as undrafted free agent rookies.
The haul does improve the offensive line from last year, but does it do enough to make the group a reliable unit, and one that can help the team improve on a six-win campaign in 2022?
We will have to wait for that question to be answered, but looking ahead, some big-time reinforcements could be coming via the 2024 NFL Draft. The 2024 NFL Draft class is loaded with talent along the offensive line, including a handful of offensive tackles that could end up being top-10 picks when all is said and done.
Raiders could land elite OT in 2024 NFL Draft
Looking at some recent mock drafts, like the one over at tankathon.com, Joe Alt is a name to keep an eye on early in the 2024 NFL Draft. Alt made his collegiate debut at Notre Dame as a true freshman, filling in thanks to an abundance of injury and bad play, and he immediately made his presence felt.
Now, Alt is considered the best offensive tackle prospect in this draft class, but there could be a 1A and 1B situation brewing between him and Olu Fashanu from Penn State. There is also JC Latham from Alabama and Kingsley Suamataia from BYU that are projected as first-round picks, so if the team wants a long-term answer at right tackle, that player should be a target on Day 1 next year.
The good thing about the 2024 NFL Draft class is the first-round will be loaded with players that can help change the fortunes of the franchise at some key positions. The quarterback class is deep, and there are elite cornerbacks available as well, so hopefully, Dave Ziegler and his staff have already started the process for next April.