After selecting Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders nearly added another first-round pick to their draft class.
In a recent article by Peter King of NBC Sports, the Raiders tried to move back into Round 1 to select a few different players, including offensive tackle Anton Harrison from Oklahoma.
Here is a snippet of what King had to say about the Raiders trying to move up in Round 1 during his time in the war room in Las Vegas:
Back in the draft room, after pick 19, Ziegler said, “Josh, you wanna look at trades?” On the board were four players with similar grades: Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith, Maryland corner Deonte Banks, Harrison the Oklahoma tackle, and Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders. Close to them: Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer.
The two most obvious names here are Nolan Smith and Deonte Banks on defense. Banks was selected by the Giants at pick No. 25 while Smith fell to the Eagles at pick No. 30. But with so many highly-graded players still on the board, the Raiders decided to wait it out and not make a move up.
While they were unable to grab an elite defender, they still got arguably the best tight end in the class in Michael Mayer in a small trade up in Round 2. That probably will end up working out better than trading into the 20s for a cornerback or an EDGE rusher.
Sometimes, the best move you make is the one that you don’t. And considering the Raiders didn’t have to give up a ton of draft capital to get a first-round graded player in Mayer, it appears to have worked out well for them.
