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Raiders go defense in Todd McShay’s first 2023 NFL mock draft

Todd McShay’s first 2023 NFL Mock Draft: See who the #Raiders select in Round 1

Believe it or not, draft season is almost here. With just four games to go in the 2022 season, the Raiders can soon start to look ahead to April and potential prospects that could make sense.

ESPN’s Todd McShay released his first mock draft of the year on Tuesday and he had the Raiders selecting at pick No. 8. So who did they select with their top pick? Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson. Here is what McShay had to say about that pick:

“I thought a little about quarterback — Derek Carr isn’t due any guaranteed money after this season — and offensive tackle, but only four teams have fewer sacks over the past two seasons than the Raiders (60).

Chandler Jones and Clelin Ferrell have both been disappointing, and Ferrell is a free agent after this year. I just moved Wilson up to fourth in my rankings, and teaming him up with Maxx Crosby and Jones would spark this juiceless pass rush.”

It’s never a bad idea to continue to invest in the defensive line, especially in the division that the Raiders play in. Crosby has been a one-man wrecking unit this season, but Jones hasn’t quite lived up to his contract.

While the Raiders have other needs on defense, Wilson is one of the best players in this class. He’ll be an interesting name to keep an eye on during the draft process as he’s got all the traits and skills to be an elite pass rusher at the next level.

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ESPN: LG Denzelle Good named most important free agent for Raiders

The Raiders have several big free agents scheduled to hit the market in March, including Nelson Agholor, Johnathan Hankins and Nicholas Morrow. However, arguably their biggest free agent is on the offensive line in Denzelle Good.

After filling for Richie Incognito most of the season, Good put together an impressive resume. He’s now started at both guard spots in his NFL career and even has some experience at right tackle after the Raiders were decimated by injuries during the 2020 season.

In a recent piece by ESPN’s 32 beat writers, they listed each team’s most important free agent entering the offseason. For the Raiders, that was none other than Denzelle Good. Here is what Paul Gutierrez had to say about the veteran offensive lineman:

“Yeah, receiver Nelson Agholor had a career year with 896 receiving yards, an 18.7 yards-per-catch average and eight touchdowns. But with the Raiders likely needing to slash salary to get under the cap, Agholor might command more than they can afford. Good, meanwhile, was the Raiders’ do-everything man on the O-line, filling in admirably at both right tackle and left guard. And with huge question marks surrounding right tackle Trent Brown and left guard Richie Incognito, Good probably is the smarter call here. After all, both coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr said Good was the team’s unsung hero and team MVP last year.”

With the Raiders likely moving on from Incognito this offseason, Good would replace him in the starting lineup. If the Raiders are unable to retain Good, that job would go to 2020 fourth-round pick John Simpson, who played sporadically as a rookie.

The Raiders are a team built around their offensive line. For them to compete with the best teams in the AFC, they need to be able to protect Derek Carr and run the ball. Retaining Good would allow them to continue to do that at a high level.

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Raiders taking part of weekend off for social justice, planning to do something to ‘make an impact’

Across the sports landscape right now players are feeling the weight of social injustices happening across the country. First, it was the George Floyd murder at the hands of a police officer, then it was Jacob Blake shot in the back seven times by police, and then in the wake of the Blake shooting, it was 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse who entered an area where there were riots and demonstrations happening with an AR-15, shot three, killing two and was allowed to walk free.

In a league that is predominantly made up of black players, they are compelled to do at very least speak up, and preferably take action to try and make a difference.

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden isn’t about stifling his players’ voices, and neither is owner Mark Davis. In that vein, following Friday’s practice at Allegiant Stadium, Gruden announced the team would be taking part in this weekend to formulate a response.

“There’s a lot of hatred out there. It really concerns me and I pray that everybody can open their heart and get on the same team. Politically, socially, and always,” Gruden said over conference call. “And I told our team, especially our leadership after visiting with them, I want them to take tomorrow off, I’m going to give them a portion Sunday off to research what’s really going on and educate themselves on where we are. And when we do come back together as a 53-man team, you’ll see the Raiders are going to do something to make life better for somebody. We’re going to make an impact. Not just protesting and not just tweeting, we’re going to do something as a football team and we’re going to prove it. The big thing is get away from the game here for a little bit, gather your thoughts, do some research, don’t make an emotional statement, make an educational one and I think our players are excited to do that.”

One thing the Raiders are reportedly interested in doing is making Allegiant Stadium a voting location for the November 3 Presidential election. It’s something the NBA has announced they will be doing league-wide and the idea has been widely praised. For the team with the richest history of inclusion and breaking racial barriers, I expect whatever they come up with to be substantial.

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