With the Super Bowl over, so ends another NFL season. For Las Vegas Raiders fans, this season could not have gone much worse. After an offseason filled with such promise, it ended with the rival Kansas City Chiefs hoisting another Lombardi Trophy. All eyes in the NFL world now turn to the offseason. With a top-ten selection in the NFL Draft, the Raiders have a chance to make a huge move. Of course, free agency will affect how they use their picks, but if the draft were today, this is what the result could look like. Here’s our latest three-round NFL mock draft.
This mock draft was made using the PFF Mock Draft Simulator.Â
Raiders Mock Draft: Round 1 – C.J. Stroud, QB (Ohio State)
With Derek Carr being shown the door after nine seasons, the team is in the market for a franchise quarterback. Picking seventh overall, they are in a prime position to take their quarterback of the future.
In Stroud, the Raiders would be getting a prototypical pocket passer who throws the best deep ball in the class. With Davante Adams and Darren Waller on offense, they will have the ability to stretch the field from day one. Unlike they had with Carr, Stroud showed tremendous poise from the pocket. His final game against Georgia gave reason to believe he can develop as a playmaker as well.
CJ STROUD IS UNREAL!!!
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 1, 2023
Raiders Mock Draft: Round 2 – Calijah Kancey, DT (Pittsburgh)
While the Aaron Donald comparisons will certainly be thrown around due to their alma mater, Kancey is a work in progress. Profoundly small for the position, Kancey is an aggressive penetrator who uses his size and energetic play style to wreak havoc in the backfield. The obvious concern will be his size. At 6’0″ and 280 pounds, can he have the same impact in the pros?
For Las Vegas, this is a worthwhile risk to take. Sorely lacking any sort of interior pressure for years, a player with Kancey’s potential would be hard to pass up. The ceiling for him is a Pro Bowl-caliber player. Adding that on the interior to a defense that has Maxx Crosby on the edge should be enough to get Raider Nation excited.
Raiders Mock Draft: Round 3 – Rashee Rice, WR (SMU)
With Adams, Waller, and Hunter Renfrow on the roster, the team is hardly missing playmakers. However, with the prospect of a rookie QB in Stroud, you can never have too many good players to throw the ball to.
One of the most underrated players in the draft, Rice is worth a first-round selection in my opinion. Possessing the prototypical size for a boundary receiver in the NFL, he has amazing hands that allow him to go and get the ball through traffic. Perhaps most importantly, he has an alpha mentality that promises confidence will not be an issue, even as a rookie.
If added to a Las Vegas offense with Josh Jacobs (assuming he returns), Davante Adams, Waller, and Renfrow, the Raiders could make any quarterback feel awfully comfortable.
Looking for more NFL mock draft coverage? Check out our Prospect Rollout page.
*Top Photo: 247 Sports
No, Derek Carr Didn’t Decline A Trade To The Saints To Get “Revenge” On Mark Davis And The Raiders
