While many have speculated the Las Vegas Raiders could take a quarterback with their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, all the rumblings around the event this week point toward the team going in a very different direction.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of holes to fill after a very disappointing 2022 campaign. Despite a new head coach in Josh McDaniels and massive offseason acquisitions in Davante Adams and Chandler Jones, the team was a disaster as they finished 6-11 and near the bottom of the AFC West.
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It’s why they entered the offseason with many holes to fill. The most notable of those was finding a new starting quarterback after the team cut ties with former starter Derek Carr after nine seasons. Early in NFL free agency, the team addressed the position by signing San Francisco 49ers veteran Jimmy Garoppolo. Yet, there has been speculation the team could also draft another QB early in the NFL Draft.
The organization has been linked to possible trades to move up in the first round, and Florida Gators star Anthony Richardson in recent weeks. Yet, with the annual event just days away, it seems that the word around the league is that the Las Vegas Raiders will look to fix other problems in the opening round on Thursday.
Las Vegas Raiders record (2022): 6-11, third place in AFC West
On Monday, ESPN’ NFL Draft expert Todd McShay gave an update on the Raiders ahead of this year’s draft and who he is hearing they are likely to select with their first pick.
“The belief around the NFL is Las Vegas will instead target a cornerback here, either Devon Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez. They are both top-tier prospects at the position, and it comes down to whether the Raiders prefer the physical cover skills of Witherspoon or the elite physical traits of Gonzalez (and whether either is off the board).
“For what it’s worth, about two-thirds of the folks I’ve spoken to have Witherspoon over Gonzalez, though that isn’t specific to the Raiders.”
– Todd McShay
McShay also notes that the Las Vegas Raiders could also be a destination for talented defensive tackle Jalen Carter if he drops to them at seventh overall. Carter is seen by many experts as the best player in this year’s draft class.
The Raiders struggled mightily on defense last season and were among the bottom seven teams in the NFL for yards and points against in 2022, so it makes sense for the team to use their top pick in 2023 to improve a weakness last season.