The 2023 NFL Draft is going to be a big one for the Las Vegas Raiders who need to nail their selections. The AFC West continues to get stronger each year, and the Raiders would be in serious trouble if they whiff on picks again.
Their draft record has not been great, having had to part ways with several highly drafted players in recent years. However, a new regime led by Dave Ziegler has the chance to make things right and secure building blocks for next season and beyond.
The Raiders won’t have to wait too long on Day 1 to make a selection as they currently own the No. 7 overall pick. Las Vegas can go in a number of directions, but the most likely route is they simply take the best player available. Quarterback has been one option, but with Jimmy Garoppolo on board, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to shore up the defensive side of the field.
One player that has garnered considerable interest is former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter who is expected to go somewhere in the top 10. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that he is reportedly set to meet with both Las Vegas and the Seattle Seahawks via Peter King of NBC Sports:
Keep in mind that most teams have their rankings done in pencil now, with the ability to change the order by position and overall. That’s an important thing to realize as we go down the home stretch. For instance, Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is due to visit two teams in the top seven, Seattle (five) and Las Vegas (seven), in the coming days. How can Vegas GM Dave Ziegler and Seattle GM John Schneider finish their evaluation of Carter before sitting down with him at length? They can’t. So if you hear, “ Carter’s out in Seattle,” for instance, it’s just not feasible.
It’s interesting to see Carter’s name linked to the Raiders as there were previous reports that the franchise has him off their draft board due to his legal troubles. However, it appears the Silver and Black are trying to remain as open-minded as possible given Carter’s talent up front.
Carter is certainly the type of player that would help any team –including the Raiders, but the optics of picking him would not go well with the fan base. The trauma of what happened with Henry Ruggs would be the first thing that people would think of, so it’s probably in Las Vegas’ best interest to avoid Carter.
