After the Las Vegas Raiders offseason trade and spending spree last year, finishing 6-11 made them one of (if not) the most disappointing teams in the NFL. The next Raiders rebuild starts now, though, with the team’s No. 7 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In his first mock of the year, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has the franchise addressing offense with the Raiders' first-round pick, possibly to help a new quarterback named Tom Brady. Let’s look at this first Raiders mock draft and see what the original NFL draft expert has to say about this Silver and Black selection, starting with revealing the identity of the Mel Kiper-Raiders pick.
Mel Kiper has Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski as the Raiders’ first-round pick
Despite having more offensive talent at the skill positions than almost any other team in the NFL, Derek Carr and the Raiders offense struggled this season. The team finished 11th in total yards gained and 12th in points scored.
The main reason for the difference between talent and production was the offensive line.
Granted, the Raiders O-line wasn’t as bad in 2022 as it was in 2021 when it was possibly the worst in the league. However, it still isn’t a solid five-man unit.
From the center-left, the Las Vegas line is good and getting better. Center Andre James, rookie left guard Dylan Parham, and left tackle Kolton Miller are the building blocks of a good offensive line. The problem is that the right side — right guard Alex Bards and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor — are not.
Eluemunor is a free agent this offseason and rookie seventh-round pick Thayer Munford Jr. could replace him next season. But to become a line worthy of blocking for the GOAT, the Raiders' first-round pick should be a lineman, according to Mel Kiper.
In this Mel Kiper-Raiders mock draft, the draft authority has the team taking Northwestern tackle Peter Skoronski, the No. 1 OT on the board.
Kiper writes that whoever the QB is next season, they’ll “need help along the offensive line.” The pumpkin pie-loving analyst is actually less bullish on Parham and James as well, noting, “only left tackle Kolton Miller's starting spot should be guaranteed going forward.” And his conclusion is, “Skoronski, who started 33 games at left tackle for the Wildcats, could move to guard or right tackle at the next level. He allowed just one sack in 2022. He'd be an instant starter for a new-look offense.”
The combine, which runs from February 28 to March 6, is sure to shake up 2023 NFL Draft “Big Boards” around the league. However, unless something surprising happens in Indianapolis, Skoronski should be LT1.
Skoronski is a 6-foot-4, 315-pound Illinois native who stayed close to home, choosing Northwestern over offers from Duke, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Stanford, according to NUSports.com. He came into college as a center but blossomed into a bookend tackle.
The lineman was so dominant at points this season, he earned the PFF Offensive Player of the Week after leading his Wildcats to 224 yards rushing, two rushing touchdowns, and allowing no sacks vs. Nebraska.
Skoronski can do it all, including play inside, as the Mel Kiper-Raiders write-up mentioned. Now, with the Raiders' first-round pick, do they want to use it on a guard? Probably not. However, having that floor of being a starting NFL guard does make the pick less risky while not affecting the player’s ceiling as a franchise building block.
This is an excellent prediction by Mel Kiper, especially if Tom Brady because the Raiders’ signal-caller in 2023. If not, though, there is no option at QB with pick No. 7 in this Raiders mock draft. Kiper already has C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), Bryce Young (Alabama), and Will Levis (Kentucky) off the board at this point.
If Las Vegas were to go in a different direction, it could go in one of several directions with the Raiders’ first-round pick. If Peter Skoronski isn’t their style, they could also opt for Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.
Options two and three are on the defensive side of the ball. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Raiders could use an upgrade at safety, cornerback, and more pass-rush help. The No. 7 pick is too early for safety, but the team could select its favorite corner among the likes of Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State), Devin Witherspoon (Illinois), or Christian Gonzalez (Oregon). They could also go for EDGE help with Myles Murphy from Clemson.
These options would all help the team with the Raiders' first-round pick, but Mel Kiper seems spot-on in this Raiders mock draft, with Peter Skoronski as the best option.
Follow Us
Subscribe