The Las Vegas Raiders held the seventh overall pick in a 2023 NFL Draft class that has already produced 12 Pro Bowlers and plenty of other young talent in just two seasons. While Tyree Wilson, Michael Mayer and Tre Tucker have all provided some production for Las Vegas, none of the Raiders' nine selections have had the success of some of the other members of the class.
Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels have received plenty of criticism for their decision to pass on Jalen Carter, who was named an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2024. The star defensive tackle, however, was seemingly never on the team's board following his legal troubles in the offseason leading up to the draft.
While fans were not happy with the decision to pass on Carter and draft Wilson, the recent play of three other players atop their draft board shows that Ziegler wasn't as bad at evaluating talent as many believed. The former Raiders general manager also had his eyes set on Will Anderson Jr., Devon Witherspoon and Paris Johnson Jr., with the latter seemingly serving as his top choice.
Raiders narrowly missed landing Paris Johnson Jr. in 2023 draft
The Raiders used their first-round pick -- the only such selection under Ziegler -- on Wilson, who underwhelmed in his first two seasons, but is quietly showing signs of turning things around. NBC Sports' Peter King was inside Las Vegas' draft room and discussed their process.
"All McDaniels and Ziegler knew was that these four non-QBs sat at the top of their board a short spiral away, graded closely: JOHNSON, Paris OT, ANDERSON, Will OLB, WITHERSPOON, Devon CB, WILSON, Tyree OLB."
While Anderson Jr. and Witherspoon were selected by teams ahead of the Raiders, King added that he believes Johnson Jr. would have been the pick had the Arizona Cardinals not traded up one spot in front of Las Vegas to draft him.
"Paris Johnson, who I believe would have been the pick -- the Raiders wouldn't tell me -- I believe he would have been the pick at seven," King said.
Las Vegas narrowly missed out on Johnson Jr., who is becoming one of the best tackles in the league. His 77.5 Pro Football Focus grade ranks 12th out of 114 offensive tackles, while his 82.9 pass block grade and 66.6 run block grade rank eighth and 41st, respectively.
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The Raiders' offensive line has struggled massively in 2025, and they could certainly use the help of a game-changer like Johnson Jr., especially with Wilson playing just 41.6% of the defensive snaps. While Las Vegas is set at left tackle with Kolton Miller, he is sidelined indefinitely with a high ankle sprain and a hairline fracture.
Furthermore, the Cardinals' star has shown that he can play on both sides of the line, as he spent his rookie season playing right tackle. If he had been the selection, the Raiders would have been able to line him up on the right side, giving them two great tackles, and he likely would have moved over following Miller's injury.
Anderson Jr. and Witherspoon have also been great. The former was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, has a Pro Bowl nod and 21.0 career sacks in 34 games under his belt. His 90.5 PFF grade in 2025 ranks fifth out of 174 edge rushers.
The latter has earned back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances and developed a reputation as one of the league's best players at his position, while his 75.0 PFF grade ranks 14th out of 171 qualifying cornerbacks.
Each of the three players has the look of a long-time star and would have helped Las Vegas fill massive needs on the current roster. While the selection of Wilson has earned plenty of criticism, Ziegler's process was better than most believe, as he was able to identify three game-changers in the early stages of the draft.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, they were also the first three non-quarterbacks off the board, and the franchise did not have the opportunity to select any of them. As for Wilson, he has begun to turn things around; however, he has a long way to go to reach the heights that Ziegler's other targets have already reached. The third-year pass rusher is in the midst of his best season, but he needs to be on the field more frequently to make a true impact.