In the end, the Las Vegas Raiders added nine new players to the roster via the 2023 NFL Draft, but who did they draft across the three-day event?
The 2023 NFL Draft has come to a close, and with it, the Las Vegas Raiders certainly upgraded their roster across the three day event. Starting on Thursday night with pick No. 7 overall, general manager Dave Ziegler was more than active in his second NFL Draft, bringing in some quality players that can help the Raiders right away.
Tyree Wilson was the selection in the first round, Ziegler's first Day 1 pick due to the fact that he traded away the team's first and second-round selections last year for Green Bay Packers star wideout, Davante Adams. Wilson was seen by many as one of the best players available this year, and adding him to the defensive line gives the Silver and Black two young and dominant players coming off the edge.
That would be the only selection Las Vegas would make on Day 1, though they went into Day 2 and 3 of the draft loaded with draft capital. Originally expected to draft 12 players, Las Vegas moved up a bunch of times on Days 2 and 3, eventually selecting nine players in their 2023 NFL Draft class.
Who did the Raiders add via the 2023 NFL Draft?
Round 1, Pick No. 7: Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech
Round 2, Pick No. 35: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
Round 3, Pick No. 70: Byron Young, DT, Alabama
Round 3, Pick No. 100: Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati
Round 4, Pick No. 104: Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
Round 4, Pick No. 135: Aidan O'Connell, QB, Purdue
Round 5, Pick No. 170: Christopher Smith II, S, Georgia
Round 6, Pick No. 203: Amari Burney, LB, Florida
Round 7, Pick No. 231: Nesta Jade Silvera, DT, Arizona State
The focus was definitely on the defense, as the team brought in six players to that side of the ball against only three for the offense. The Silver and Black struggled in a big way on defense in 2022, so Ziegler and his staff made the right move by bolstering all three levels of the unit.
It remains to be seen what kind of impact the 2023 class will have, but the Raiders certainly improved in the secondary and up front along the defensive line. Michael Mayer should step in and be the team's starting tight end from Day 1, as he was the best player in the class at the position group, while Wilson should take a lot of pressure off of Maxx Crosby coming off the edge.