After the Davante Adams trade last offseason, the Raiders did not have a ton of draft capital. They actually traded back multiple times in order to add more picks and they did not make a selection until pick No. 90 in 2022.
While the Adams trade certainly worked out for Las Vegas, it’s tough to rebuild a team without picks. The good news is that the Raiders have significantly more draft capital heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.
While the draft order isn’t finalized yet and won’t be for the next few months (due to compensatory picks), we have a good idea of where the Raiders will be picking. Here are their expected picks for the 2023 NFL Draft via The Athletic:
Rd 1, No. 7
Rd 2, No. 39
Rd 3, No. 71
Rd 4, No. 109
Rd 5, No. 142
Rd 5, No. 145 (via ATL)
Rd 5, No. 174 (projected comp pick)
Rd 6, No. 202 (via DAL)
Rd 6, No. 219 (projected comp pick)
Rd 7, No. 222 (via ARI)
Rd 7, No. 233 (via NE)
Using the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart when it comes to draft picks, the Raiders had 257.8 points in draft value last year. Their No. 7 pick this season is with 1,500 points alone. In fact, the No. 39 pick is worth 510 points, which is nearly double what they had all last season.
With six picks inside the top 150 selections, the Raiders should be able to rebuild their team rather quickly. And if they are able to trade Derek Carr for a big haul, they could have some of the most draft capital in the league entering April.
Still, it’s all about making the right picks and that’s what Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels still have to prove to the fans. But a lack of quality picks certainly won’t be an excuse for this front office this offseason.
