Raiders 7-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Trading down on Day 1 a must?

Raiders 7-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Trading down on Day 1 a must?

38 Darnell Washington TE | Georgia

We know that there are much more pressing needs for the Raiders than tight end but getting a chance to draft the next great one at 38th overall is too hard to pass up. So with the 38th overall selection, the Raiders draft tight end Darnell Washington out of Georgia.

Washington was one of the stars of the NFL combine as he put up one of the most athletic workouts in the history of the event. Measures in at a massive 6- 7 and 270 pounds and ran a blistering 4.64 second forty. He also did a 31 inch vertical jump, 10 foot broad jump, and put up 21 reps on the bench press. His 4.08 second short shuttle was third best at the combine amongst all the positions.

The former Georgia star it's far from a finished product as he will need to work on his route running ability but he is a fantastic blocker and his upside is incredible. We can see a team falling in love with him in the first round but the Raiders could benefit from a deeper than usual tight end class this year.

The Raiders would be betting on Washington’s athletic ability and upside and they have the luxury of bringing him along slowly due to the other signings they made at the position. There is also the chance that he beats out all three of the other guys at the position and could be a day one starter for the silver and black.