Nesta Jade Silvera

Raiders standouts on Day 1 of joint practices with 49ers

Finding the best performances in these joint practices was not easy from the media vantage point. Getting a view of anything requires a good set of binoculars and sometimes even that’s not enough because there are players lined up in the way of all team sessions.

That being said, there were a few standout performers on the Raiders on their first day lining up against an opponent and I will try my best to give them all a mention.

Marcus Peters

Had his third interception of camp, picking off 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Earlier in practice, he was getting in the face of a 49ers receiver. He then backed it up. Just what the Raiders want from him.

Duke Shelley

Also had an interception, and it occurred right after the Peters jawing incident. So, clearly there’s an energy in this secondary and Shelley is feeding off of it.

Amik Robertson

Had a couple of pass breakups on the day, one of which came in the endzone to keep the 49ers from scoring to finish out a team session.

Chandler Jones

Worked over 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz. Drove him up field and then put an inside spin move on him to get a straight shot at the quarterback.

Silvera showed great strength inside on the rush. And apparently I missed his best stuff while I was watching the other side, but he drew raves from several other members of the media independently. Worth watching the seventh round rookie.

Jimmy Garoppolo

No turnovers against his former team. And he connected with all his top receivers, spreading the ball around.

Austin Hooper

Garoppolo found Hooper in the back right corner of the end zone with defenders on each side of him for the touchdown.

Raiders sign most of draft class ahead of start to rookie camp

A bevvy of Draft class signings for Raiders on the eve of rookie camp.

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Just ahead of rookie mini camp, the Raiders have begun locking in their rookie draft class. They began rattling off the official signings today.

Here is who has signed so far:

Round 3, pick 100 WR Tre Tucker
Round 4, pick 135 QB Aidan O’Connell
Round 5, pick 170 S Christopher Smith II
Round 6, pick 203 LB Amari Burney
Round 7, pick 231 DT Nesta Jade Silvera

Tucker signs a four-year, $5.4 million deal.

O’Connell signs a four-year, $4.7 million deal.

Smith signs a four-year, $4.1 million deal.

Burney signs a four-year, $4 million contract.

Jade Silvera signs a four-year, $3.9 million deal.

None of these deals carry a cap figure that rises into the Top 51 and thus do not currently count against the Raiders 2023 cap figures.

In total the Raiders drafted nine players this year. The others are:

Round 1, pick 7 ED Tyree Wilson
Round 2, pick 35 TE Michael Mayer
Round 3, pick 70 DT Byron Young
Round 4, pick 104 CB Jakorian Bennett

2023 NFL Draft: The best draft steal for every NFL team

Every NFL draft has its selection of steals — those players who could surprise despite their low selections — and here’s one for every NFL team.

One of the many reasons the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII was the job that general manager Brett Veach did outside of the first round of the 2022 draft. Three defensive backs (Bryan Cook in the second round, Joshua Williams in the fourth, and Jaylen Watson in the seventh) were difference-makers all season, and seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco became the team’s bellcow back down the stretch. Also, second-round receiver Skyy Moore joined Pacheco with touchdowns in that Super Bowl victory over the Eagles.

First-round hits are nice, but it’s almost worse to miss in the first round than it is better to win there from an opportunity cost perspective. If you want to refresh your roster at a championship level, you had better get those picks right on the second and third day. Veach and his staff did that, and it was the difference that made all the difference in the end.

Moving to the 2023 NFL draft, we’ve selected one second- or third-day pick for every NFL team who could have a similar impact on their NFL roaters sooner than mater. Each of these players have reasons for their relatively low picks in line with their tape, stats, and talent, but these are the kinds of finds that can turn a team around over time.

Rams 2023 Draft Prospect Profile: Nesta Jade Silvera (IDL, Arizona State)

Nesta Jade Silvera could be a solid day 3 pick if the Rams are looking to bolster their IDL in the 2023 NFL draft.

Outside of Aaron Donald, the Los Angeles Rams have a handful of inexperienced defensive linemen operating in the interior of the trenches. Amid the group of players who have departed the Rams in free agency thus far, the departure of Greg Gaines could prove to be costly if the team doesn’t address the defensive line this offseason.

While the Rams have brought back Marquise Copeland, A’Shawn Robinson is trending toward not being back with the team next season. With a limited amount of cap space and the Rams looking toward the future, they can use at least one of their 11 picks in the 2023 NFL draft on an interior defender.

On Day 3 of this year’s draft, Nesta Jade Silvera is an incoming rookie that could interest the Rams.

Cowboys grab star TE; add depth to OL, DL, LB corps in NFL.com’s latest mock

Dalton Kincaid is too good to pass up at No. 26 in this NFL.com mock; the Cowboys also look at a huge OT, a raw-talent LB, and DL depth. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Thanks to a handful a savvy free agency additions and timely re-signings, the Cowboys find themselves with no panic-time holes to fill on draft weekend in Kansas City. That should allow them the relative luxury of working their big board and selecting the best players available rather than reaching for a dicey prospect because he fills a desperate positional need.

That said, there are always areas on the roster that could use reinforcement, and the Dallas front office addresses a quartet of those in the latest four-round mock exercise from NFL.com‘s draft analyst Chad Reuter.

2023 Senior Bowl Preview: Interior Defensive Line

We continue our 2023 Senior Bowl preview with the interior defensive line

One of the most important events on the National Football League calendar is the Senior Bowl. Held the week after the conference championship games, it is the true beginning of the NFL draft cycle.

Not only do scouts and analysts like us get to see over 100 draft prospects in one place competing against each other, but it’s also an opportunity for analysts and personnel alike to get together and have discussions about a number of topics.

As we look forward to this year’s Senior Bowl, both managing editor Tyler Forness and columnist Matt Anderson will be there in person to break everything down.

We will be breaking down each position group and what to look for throughout the week. Here is the interior defensive line position.

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive tackles
Interior offensive line