Raiders make awful decision in ESPN's post-free agency mock draft
The Las Vegas Raiders have a ton of needs they need to address before the start of the 2023 season, and so far, they have addressed a few of them in free agency. They signed Jimmy Garoppolo to be their quarterback for the next few years, as he worked with Josh McDaniels in New England […]
The Las Vegas Raiders have a ton of needs they need to address before the start of the 2023 season, and so far, they have addressed a few of them in free agency.
They signed Jimmy Garoppolo to be their quarterback for the next few years, as he worked with Josh McDaniels in New England and already knows the offensive scheme.
Then they signed former Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, just before trading away Darren Waller. They have been making some moves, but have still yet to address the two biggest needs. But there isn't a ton of worry around the franchise because they still have the draft to address some of those things.
But, in one recent ESPN mock draft done by Mel Kiper, he has the Raiders completely ignoring their biggest need.
Raiders seventh-pick in ESPN mock draft
Kiper has the Raiders selecting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with their first pick at number seven, which would be a terrible mistake. Sure, they need help with their defensive back unit pretty badly, but this is still a bad pick when you break it all down.
Here is what Kiper had to say about the pick:
In this scenario, the Raiders don't get any of the top four quarterbacks, forcing them to go with the best prospect available. They added the solid-but-unspectacular Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency, so it's not like they have a void under center as big as the Colts, Texans, and Panthers do. They also have a veteran roster, and you could argue they should try to win now.
The player who can most help them win in 2023 is Gonzalez, who ran a blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the combine, backing up what I saw on his 2022 tape. At 6-foot-1, he has outstanding ball skills and elite recovery speed. This is a clear need area for Las Vegas.
A few things about this potential pick:
This draft is extremely deep when it comes to secondary players, and it isn't when it comes to the offensive line. The Raiders need an offensive guard and offensive tackle positions through the draft as well. Taking Gonzalez right here would mean they are passing up on the two best offensive linemen in the entire draft in Paris Johnson Jr. and Peter Skoronski.
The Raiders should prioritize the offensive line over the secondary because of their new quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo has an injury history and a lot of it. Keeping him safe would keep the Raiders from playing a backup quarterback, just like the San Francisco 49ers have had to do several times, and just like the Raiders did just last season with Stidham, but for different reasons.
If they took cornerback at number seven, they would be forced to reach later on when it comes to the offensive line pieces they need. And in Kiper's mock, both of those offensive lineman, the two best in the draft, are still on the board. It's honestly a no-brainer.
