There’s a lot of football left to be played if you’re the Las Vegas Raiders. However, there are still quite a few weaknesses that the Silver and Black need to address regardless of the outcome of Week 8. As it stands, the Raiders are still choosing in the top 10 (ninth) according to Tankathon.
The problem with any sort of mock draft right now is that the final record is far from predictable. A win against the New Orleans Saints and another one in Week 9 will put Dave Ziegler’s squad in the middle of the pack with a .500 record. Nevertheless, the deficiencies in this roster aren’t going away in spite of any record. Is the offensive line settled in terms of the long-term big picture? What about the defense? As most Raiders fans have seen, there are noticeable holes throughout. Let’s see what an early big board looks like right now, with November just a couple of days away.
Raiders Draft: 2023 Big Board Top 50, Top 10
Deciding what the biggest needs are for the Raiders can be quite a conundrum. Rarely do fans and the media agree on what the Raiders need. For example, at the quarterback position, half the fans believe Derek Carr is still the answer, and drafting a signal-caller would be a waste of capital. On the other hand, some are imploring Ziegler to draft one at some point. At the end, any big board, regardless of publication, has no idea what the team is actually looking at. That’s especially true with this current regime that keeps everything close to the vest. It’s opinion-based, like anything else in football.
But, hey, we still try. Let’s start by listing some players to keep an eye on with the college season fully underway.
- Noah Sewell, Linebacker, Oregon, 6’3″, 251 pounds
- Malachi Moore, Defensive Back, Alabama, 6’0″, 190 pounds
- Antonio Johnson, Defensive Back, Texas A&M, 6’3″, 200 pounds
- Brandon Joseph, Defensive Back, Notre Dame, 6’1″, 192 pounds
- Paris Johnson, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State, 6’6″, 315 pounds
- Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State, 6’3″, 255 pounds
- Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame, 6’5″, 260 pounds
- Bryan Breese, Defensive Tackle, Clemson, 6’5″, 300 pounds
- Jordan Battle, Defensive Back, Alabama, 6’1″, 206 pounds
- Kyu Blu Kelly, Cornerback, Stanford, 6’1″, 185 pounds
Raiders Draft: 2023 Big Board Top 50, 11-30
In case you didn’t notice, the aforementioned top 10 leans heavily towards defense. Bryan Breese, who is regarded as one of the top prospects overall heading into next April, could fall due to his injury problems this season. Nevertheless, let’s continue.
11. Michael Mayer, Tight End, Notre Dame, 6’5″, 251 pounds
12. Trenton Simpson, Outside Linebacker, Clemson, 6’3″, 230 pounds
13. Will Levis, Quarterback, Kentucky, 6’3″, 232 pounds
14. Andre Carter II, EDGE, Army, 6’6″, 250 pounds
15. Jaquelin Roy, Defensive Tackle, LSU, 6’3″, 297 pounds
16. Garrett Williams, Cornerback, Syracuse, 6’0″, 190 pounds
17. Devon Witherspoon, Cornerback, Illinois, 6’0″, 180 pounds
18. Rashad Torrence II, Defensive Back, Florida, 6’0″, 205 pounds
19. DJ Turner, Defensive Back, Michigan, 5’11”, 181 pounds
20. Broderick Jones, Offensive Tackle, 6’4″, 315 pounds
21. Noah Daniels, Cornerback, TCU, 6’0″, 190 pounds
22. Drew Sanders, Linebacker, Arkansas, 6’4″, 242 pounds
23. Tony Grimes, Cornerback, North Carolina, 6’1″, 195 pounds
24. Henry To’o To’o, Linebacker, Alabama, 6’2″, 228 pounds
25. A.T. Perry, Wide Receiver, Wake Forest, 6’4″, 206 pounds
26. Dalton Kincaid, Tight End, Utah, 6’4″, 240 pounds
27. Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State, 6’6″, 272 pounds
28. Hendon Hooker, Quarterback, Tennessee, 6’4″, 218 pounds
29. B.J. Ojulari, EDGE, LSU, 6’3″, 244 pounds
30. Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Offensive Tackle, Penn State, 6’6″, 308 pounds
Raiders Draft: 2023 Big Board Top 50, 31-50
31. Sedrick Van Pran, Offensive Lineman, Georgia, 6’3″, 310 pounds
32. Marvin Mims, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma, 5’11”, 177 pounds
33. Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia, 6’3″, 235 pounds
34. Akeem Dent, Defensive Back, Florida State, 6’1″, 203 pounds
35. Blake Freeland, Offensive Tackle, BYU, 6’8″, 305 pounds
36. Luke Musgrave, Tight End, Oregon State, 6’6″, 252 pounds
37. Andrew Vorhees, Offensive Lineman, USC, 6’6″, 320 pounds
38. Emmanuel Forbes, Cornerback, Mississippi State, 6’0″, 180 pounds
39. Anton Harrison, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma, 6’5″, 309 pounds
40. O’Cyrus Torrence, Offensive Lineman, Florida, 6’5″, 335 pounds
41. Owen Pappoe, Outside Linebacker, Auburn, 6’1″, 226 pounds
42. Tykee Smith, Defensive Back, Georgia, 5’10”, 198 pounds
43. Robert Scott Jr., Offensive Tackle, Florida State, 6’5″, 312 pounds
44. John Michael Schmitz, Offensive Lineman, Minnesota, 6’4″, 320 pounds
45. Gervon Dexter, Defensive Tackle, Florida, 6’6″, 313 pounds
46. Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech, 6’6″, 275 pounds
47. Riley Moss, Cornerback, Iowa, 6’1″, 194 pounds
48. Jalen Catalon, Defensive Back, Arkansas, 5’10”, 200 pounds
49. Emil Ekiyor Jr, Offensive Lineman, Alabama, 6’2″, 324 pounds
50. Ivan Pace Jr., Linebacker, Cincinnati, 6’0″, 239 pounds
Washington State’s Cameron Ward Is An Intriguing Prospect For The 2023 Draft
*Top Photo: Rubbing The Rock/Fansided