Raiders could be in line to land a Top 10 player with No. 13 pick

For most of this Draft SZN, Raiders fans have been under the assumption that they'd have to trade up for a Top-10 prospect. Their first round pick is sitting at 13 overall, and especially considering what the team needs, some moves would have to be made.

But, according to the latest mock draft on NFL.com (!), that may not end up being the case. Draft analyst Adam Rank released another version this week, and his Raiders pick should have fans in Las Vegas jumping for joy (relatively speaking, it's just the draft after all).

Raiders could be in line to land a Top 10 player with No. 13 pick

Pick: Georgia TE Brock Bowers

"You might be tempted to go quarterback here," Rank writes. "I get it. But I also believe you can get by with Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew. Hell, Minshew nearly led the Colts to the playoffs last season.

"Cornerback is another position you could target, and the offensive line needs help. But I love Bowers in this spot as a top-10 talent going to a team that could use more playmakers. New Raiders OC Luke Getsy liked to use "12" personnel with the Bears last year; combining Bowers with Michael Mayer would be straight up fire, like Gordon Ramsay cooking something up in Hell's Kitchen."

Bowers at 13 would be a steal, and would help Raiders fans stay distracted from the fact that either Aidan O'Connell or Gardner Minshew would be throwing him the ball. It doesn't really feel like a quarterback is in the cards this year – at least not in the first round, unless things get weird – and taking the best player available is never a bad idea. There are plenty of young, talented players already on Vegas' roster, but it's not exactly like this team is a quarterback away. Getting a bonafide Day 1 starter, instead of reaching up for JJ McCarthy/Michael Penix, seems like a pretty decent tradeoff.