If the season ended today, the Raiders would own the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And with their current schedule coming up, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they ended up picking in the top five. If that’s the case, they need to a find a cornerstone player on defense to build around going forward.
In a recent mock draft by Ian Cummings of the Pro Football Network, he had the Raiders selecting Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Here is what he had to say about that possible selection:
“It’s almost incredible how underwhelming Las Vegas has been, after an offseason in which they added Davante Adams and Chandler Jones, among others. They may be in a position to do a hard reset and pick a QB. But for now, Raiders fans prefer the best-player-available route, pairing Will Anderson Jr. with Maxx Crosby.”
Anderson is the most productive pass rusher in the history of college football, totaling 25.5 sacks in his last 25 games. He just finds ways to get to the quarterback and make big plays when Alabama needs it the most.
Pairing him with Maxx Crosby would solve their pass-rush woes and would instantly give the Raiders the best EDGE duo in the league. If the Raiders do wind up with a top-three pick in next April’s draft, Anderson should be their No. 1 target.
