Help on the defensive side of the football remains a top priority for the Las Vegas Raiders and it feels like the 2023 NFL Draft is a place the Raiders are planning to use to help bolster that side of the ball. The team has had meetings with numerous prospects on all three levels of the defense.
The line and secondary have gotten a lot of focus, but linebacker is also an area of need. The Raiders lost one of their top tacklers from last season in Denzel Perryman to free agency this offseason, and there is little there in terms of depth at the moment.
But the Raiders are looking at one of the top linebacking prospects in this draft class as the team met with Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2:
Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley is visiting the #Raiders per a league source @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 11, 2023
Henley is one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft as his potential is through the roof. Henley actually began his college career at Nevada as a wide receiver before switching over to defensive back and then finally a linebacker in his last two seasons.
He was a First-Team All-Pac 12 selection in his lone season at Washington State, finishing his final year with 104 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. The fact that he started his collegiate career as a linebacker means he has excellent ball skills for a player at his position, and with such little experience, there is a ton of room for growth with the right coaching staff.
There could be some concerns as well with Henley as he is someone who might not be ready to contribute at the highest level immediately. There are still a lot of nuances that come with playing the position that he simply won’t have with just a couple years of experience. But that level of potential could be worth the pick during Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
Raiders scheduled to meet with Georgia DT Jalen Carter
In terms of pure talent, there aren’t many prospects who would rank higher than Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The former Bulldog is an outstanding talent, but legal troubles have teams wary about potentially selecting him. It was even reported that the Raiders had him off their board, but that may have been a bit presumptive.
Recent reports are that the Raiders, who own the 7th overall selection, are set to meet with Carter. For a franchise that has dealt with some unfortunate off-field issues recently, it is imperative that they do their homework on Carter. But the talent is obviously there, and he could be a game-changer wherever he winds up.
