Will the Raiders go quarterback at No. 7? Or will they pick someone on the defensive side of the ball in Round 1? That is the question that has been on the mind of Raiders fans over the last several weeks.
So with just two weeks to go until the NFL Draft, what will the Raiders do with their top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?
In a recent article by ESPN’s insiders, they wrote about every team’s draft plan. For the Raiders, it appears that they are targeting a cornerback with their top pick. Here is a snippet of Jordan Reid’s thoughts on their draft plans at No. 7:
While a signal-caller is possible at No. 7 — if one of the top guys is even still on the board — I’ve been told not to rule out a cornerback there by someone with knowledge of the team’s strategy. Paul and I are hearing the same thing.
Las Vegas has checked in on Devon Witherspoon (Illinois), Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) and Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State), the top three corners in this class. The Raiders should have a chance to take the first defensive back off the board.
While the Raiders could trade up for a quarterback, that doesn’t seem very likely as two quarterbacks are expected to be picked with the first two selections. And with the Colts drafting at No. 4, there will likely be three quarterbacks gone inside the top five picks.
The Raiders appear to be targeting a cornerback at No. 7 and that feels like a wise decision. The top of this class is loaded with cornerback talent and both Gonzalez and Witherspoon are worthy of being selected at that spot.
Nothing is certain but expected a cornerback to come off the board at No. 7.
