5 early contenders to be the Raiders first-round pick in 2024

With most of the talk surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders focused on what they will do at head coach and general manager, the 2024 NFL Draft is starting to sneak up on us. The Draft will take place at the end of April, and while there is a lot of work to do with the roster before then, mock drafts are all over the place in terms of who the Raiders will take on Day 1.

Last year, the Raiders bypassed a need at defensive tackle and went with Tyree Wilson, an edge rusher from Texas Tech. In a turn of events, Wilson actually played his best football not coming off the edge, and he could be used as more of an interior defensive lineman going forward.

Here, we look at the early contenders for the Raiders No. 13 overall pick this April.

5 early contenders to be the Raiders first-round pick in 2024

5. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

We start out on the defensive side of the ball, as a few mock drafts have the Raiders taking one of the two top cornerbacks from Alabama coming out this year. Kool-Aid McKinstry is getting a lot of the publicity going into draft season, but could it be Terrion Arnold that lands with the Silver and Black at No. 13 overall?

Arnold certainly has big-play ability, as he nabbed five interceptions this past season, including two against Auburn. The Crimson Tide could have two first-round cornerbacks come out this draft season, and a player like Arnold would be a strong complement to Jones in the starting lineup as a rookie.