The Raiders have never been shy about taking risks. They’ve always gambled on elite traits and talent, especially in the NFL Draft. And they may get another chance at drafting an elite player with incredible upside at pick No. 7 in this year’s draft.
Georgia DT Jalen Carter is widely viewed as the best player in this class. But after a recent arrest, there are some rumblings that he could fall out of the top five and into the laps of the Raiders at No. 7. Is that a pick that Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels would be willing to make?
In a recent mock draft by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, he had the Raiders selecting Carter with their top pick. Here is a snippet of his thoughts and why he thinks this would be a smart move by Las Vegas:
The Raiders are another team that could look to add a quarterback after striking out in their attempt to trade up to No. 1 overall with the Chicago Bears, but here we’re operating under the assumption they had a particular player in mind and will now wait until 2024 or beyond.
Carter’s 89.1 pass-rush grade in 2022 ranked seventh among FBS interior defenders, and his 91.2 run-defense grade ranked fifth. He’s as good a prospect on the field as we’ve seen since PFF started grading college football in 2014.
Not only is Carter an incredible player, but he also fills one of the biggest needs on the roster for the Raiders. They’ve needed to find a pass-rushing three technique forever and Carter gives them size and athleticism inside.
If Carter is available to the Raiders at No. 7, it’s a pick they have to make. He is just too talented to pass on and would be a perfect fit between Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones in their defense.
