The 2024 NFL Draft is two months away, and the Las Vegas Raiders — owners of the No. 13 overall pick — are doing their due diligence on many prospects in order to be prepped to add to a team in need of talent. Edge rusher Maxx Crosby is one of the team’s only true superstars, and he has caught the attention of first-round hopeful Byron Murphy of the Texas Longhorns.
Murphy, the Texas defensive tackle, is slated to be selected in the first round by most mock drafts, meaning he could be available for the Raiders to snag with the 13th pick. He would bring with him the best quarterback pressure rate of any FBS defensive tackle in 2023 as well as the best Pro Football Focus grade of any FBS defensive tackle. He would instantly elevate any NFL defensive line, but especially the Raiders.
And it seems Murphy would be excited about that prospect given that he would get to play alongside Crosby. He revealed that in availability with Raiders media on Wednesday via Levi Edwards of the Raiders:
Texas DT Byron Murphy: “Playing next to a guy like Maxx Crosby would be CRAZY. I’ve never played with a guy like that, and he would make my job a lot easier.”#Raiders pic.twitter.com/zKb1aItpHA
— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) February 28, 2024
The Raiders have not said whether or not they’d be prioritizing defense or offense with their first-round pick this season. They have significant holes on both sides of the ball, but shoring up the defensive line with two bona fide players in Crosby and Murphy would be a great start toward building a quality football team.
Football is so often won at the line of scrimmage that having more defensive line talent is always better than having less, even if there are other areas of need that should be addressed on draft day.
Raiders may trade up for Jayden Daniels
What the Las Vegas Raiders will do to address their quarterback position continues to be one of the biggest questions for the franchise this offseason. One name that has come up pretty regularly recently is LSU star and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.
Daniels has been linked to the Raiders not only because of his talent but also due to his connection with Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, who was on the staff at Arizona State, where Daniels’ college career began. But with the Raiders having the 13th overall pick, the team would have to make a deal to move up in the NFL Draft if they really wanted to bring Daniels in.
