As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Las Vegas Raiders.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Raiders pick in the NFL Draft?
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Tyree Wilson (EDGE, Texas Tech) with the 7th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Raiders added Michael Mayer (TE, Notre Dame) with the 35th pick.
Las Vegas selected Byron Young (DL, Alabama) with the No. 70 pick and Tre Tucker (WR, Cincinnati) with the 100th pick.
Raiders Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Defensive Line
- Offensive Line
- Defensive Back
What Picks do the Las Vegas Raiders have in 2023?
The Las Vegas Raiders have 12 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (7)
- Round 2 (38)
- Round 3 (70)
- Round 3 (100)
- Round 4 (109)
- Round 5 (141)
- Round 5 (144)
- Round 5 (174)
- Round 6 (204)
- Round 6 (214)
- Round 7 (220)
- Round 7 (231)
Las Vegas Raiders Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Raiders Sharp Draft Value Rank: 4 of 32 teams
- Raiders AV Model Draft Value Rank: 7 of 32 teams
- Raiders OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 3 of 32 teams
Las Vegas Raiders Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Raiders' draft value is 38% higher than the league average of all 32 teams. Just three other teams have more draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders Draft Prediction:
The Raiders are predicted to draft C.J. Stroud (QB, Ohio State) with their 1st round pick (#7 overall) according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, also has the Raiders selecting C.J. Stroud (QB, Ohio State) with their 1st round pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Las Vegas Raiders Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Las Vegas Raiders have the fourth hardest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Las Vegas Raiders Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Las Vegas Raiders, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Las Vegas Raiders Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Brian Hoyer
- Chase Garbers
The Raiders went out and signed Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, reuniting him with Josh McDaniels, who was the offensive coordinator for the Patriots during Garoppolo’s first three years in the league.
Regardless of what you think about Garoppolo and the limitations he may possess, he was fourth in NFL in expected points added per play in 2022 (0.16) while Derek Carr was 15th (0.05).
Kyle Shanahan’s system gets a lot of the credit in league circles for Garoppolo’s efficiency over his career while Garoppolo’s shortcomings have prevented ceiling outcomes for his teams.
However, he is the poster child for quarterback wins (40-17 in his career as a starter) and the number one quarterback that gets pushback when it comes to spreadsheet analysis.
Where the Raiders should have a seismic shift moving on from Carr to Garoppolo is downfield passing versus the intermediate levels.
Carr had a 14.1% deep throwing rate (seventh in the NFL) compared to a 9.7% rate for Garoppolo last season.
Carr threw 30 passes last season that were 30 or more air yards (third in the league).
Garoppolo has thrown 26 passes with 30 or more air yards over the past three seasons combined.
But where Carr struggled in 2022 in McDaniels’ system was on the intermediate levels. That is where Garoppolo made his way with Shanahan.
Carr was 27th in the NFL last season in completion rate on those throws (50.0%) and 27th in success rate (51.0%).
Garoppolo was fifth in completion rate (65.8%) and sixth in success rate (62.5%) on attempts to the intermediate areas of the field.
While Garoppolo signed a three-year contract potentially worth up to just short of $73 million, his deal is heavily tied to 2023.
He is set to carry a $33.8 million dead cap hit this season, but then that moves to $18.8 million in 2024 (saving the team just short of $10 million in cap space) and $3.7 million dead cap in 2025 (saving nearly $25 million) if the team does have to move on.
In other words, Garoppolo’s contract does not prevent the Raiders from pursuing a quarterback early in this draft should they desire to add one, but he does provide some runway should the Raiders not want to settle for a passer they are not sold on being the long-term answer.
Running Back Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Josh Jacobs
- Zamir White
- Ameer Abdullah
- Brandon Bolden
- Austin Walter
- Brittain Brown
- Sincere McCormick
- Jakob Johnson (FB)
The Raiders declined to pick up the fifth-year option for Josh Jacobs last spring and then had to ante up and use the franchise tag on him this offseason after Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards (1,653) and yards from scrimmage (2,053).
Jacobs handled a career-high 393 touches last season, which also led the league.
He played 74.5% of the offensive snaps, which trailed only Saquon Barkley (75.4%) at the position.
Not just reliant on volume, among all backs with 100 or more carries in 2022, Jacobs ranked:
- First in the rate of runs to result in a first down or touchdown (27.4%)
- Second in success rate (44.2%)
- Seventh in EPA per rush (0.02)
- Eighth in yards after contact per carry (3.40)
- 11th in rate of runs to gain 10 or more yards (12.1%)
Jacobs still has not signed his franchise tag and did not show up to the voluntary offseason program as he attempts to coax a longer commitment from the organization following his huge season.
Behind Jacobs, the Raiders have a mix of veterans in Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden paired with three other backs on rookie deals.
Zamir White was selected in the fourth round last season but only played 40 total snaps as a rookie, rushing 17 times for 70 yards.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Davante Adams
- Jakobi Meyers
- Hunter Renfrow
- DeAndre Carter
- Keelan Cole
- Cam Sims
- Tyler Johnson
- Phillip Dorsett
- Chris Lacy
- D.J. Turner
Davante Adams continued to perform at the top of his position in his first season with the Raiders.
Adams received a career-high 180 targets, catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards and leading the NFL in touchdown receptions (14) for the second time in three seasons.
Adams was third among all wide receivers in target rate per route run (29.1%), first in overall team target share (32.3%), and seventh in yards per route run (2.45).
Adams did have his lowest catch rate (55.6%) since 2015 due to increased usage downfield, which ties right back into our open about Carr and Garoppolo.
20.0% of his targets were deep targets, a new career high.
As a byproduct, his catch rate dipped with more target volume on looks with a lower success rate, but he also averaged 15.2 yards per catch, the highest mark of his career. His previous high was 13.3 yards per catch in 2016.
Where Adams struggled in 2022 was where Carr struggled.
Adams accounted for 40.9% of the Las Vegas intermediate targets last season, but he and Carr connected on just 44.4% (20-of-45) of those attempts.
17.8% of those intermediate targets were deemed as inaccurate passes per TruMedia, which was the highest rate among all players with as many overall targets as Adams.
With Garoppolo in 2023, we should see the yards per reception for Adams come down while his catch rate and efficiency per target revert to career norms.
The Raiders signed Jakobi Meyers this offseason to a three-year contract worth up to $33 million, reuniting him with McDaniels.
Meyers carries palatable cap hits of $7.3 million, $12.8 million, and $12.8 million over those three seasons with dead cap hits of just $3.7 million and $1.8 million over the final two years.
Meyers is coming off a season in which he averaged 4.8 receptions for a career-high 57.4 yards per game. He even found his way into the end zone six times after scoring two touchdowns over his first three years in the league.
If wondering how Meyers fits in with Hunter Renfrow, Meyers was effective last season when tasked to move out of the slot.
Meyers was fifth in the NFL last season among wideouts in yards per route run outside of the slot (2.64). That sample was only 126 routes, fewer than every player above him.
In 2021, Meyers ran 178 routes outside of the slot and averaged 1.87 yards per route run (43rd), so apply any small sample grains of salt.
The one thing we do know is that Meyers will have a hard time rolling over his 22.8% (25th) and 23.6% (27th) target per route rates playing alongside Adams.
The team still has Hunter Renfrow signed for the next two seasons.
Renfrow missed seven games last season due to injury and it impacted his play. He averaged a career-low 9.1 yards per catch.
Through four years in the league, the only spike in Renfrow’s output came in 2021 when injuries to Darren Waller and the Henry Ruggs situation cleared a tarmac for targets.
Beyond Renfrow, the depth here is middling at best while only Chris Lacy and D.J. Turner are under contract beyond 2023.
Tight End Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Austin Hooper
- O.J. Howard
- Jesper Horsted
- Cole Fotheringham
The Raiders nearly have an entirely different tight end room after they traded Darren Waller and Foster Moreau was forced to retire during the free agency period.
Jesper Hosted was with the team last season but played just 57 snaps.
To bridge the gap, the Raiders signed Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard to one-year contracts.
Hooper has averaged 33.5, 21.6, and 26.1 yards per game over the past three seasons with the Browns and Titans.
O.J. Howard has not had more than 14 receptions in a season since 2019.
Given the lack of talent and contractual depth here, the Raiders should explore adding a rookie in this good class for the position.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Raiders:
LT: Kolton Miller/Justin Herron/Sebastian Gutierrez/Justin Murray
LG: Dylan Parham/Jordan Meredith
C: Andre James/Hroniss Grasu
RG: Alex Bars/Netane Muti/Vitaliy Gurman
RT: Jermaine Eluemunor/Brandon Parker/Thayer Munford
The Raiders lack front-end starters on their line outside of Kolton Miller, but they were a surprising unit in 2022.
Las Vegas ended the season 10th in ESPN’s pass block win rate (62%) and 11th in run block win rate (72%).
At Pro Football Focus, they were ninth in pass blocking grade and 17th in run blocking grade as a team.
The team has Miller signed through 2025. He was still strong last season, grading out sixth among offensive tackles per Pro Football Focus.
Jermaine Eluemunor was a major surprise for the team last season after he bounced around the league early in his career.
He played a career-high 940 snaps (800 at right tackle) and had the highest grade of his career per PFF, which was good for 21st among all tackles last season.
Eluemunor is only signed for the 2023 season, so he can cash in if he matches his output from a year ago.
While both tackle spots were good, the interior of this line still leaves a lot to be desired.
Andre James is in the final year of his contract after he was 21st out of 39 qualifying centers at PFF in 2022.
The team selected Dylan Parham in the third round (90th overall) last season and immediately threw him into the fire.
Parham started all 17 games and played left guard (789 snaps), center (137 snaps), and right guard (110 snaps).
Unfortunately, he also struggled heavily in pass protection, allowing a team-high 9.2% pressure rate, which was 129th out of 143 qualifying players to play guard and center last season.
Alex Bars is also only signed for 2023 and allowed a 7.9% pressure rate, which was 123rd among that same group above.
Out of 85 guards, Bars ranked 75th in overall grade per Pro Football Focus.
Las Vegas Raiders Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Dan Pizzuta breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Las Vegas Raiders, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Jerry Tillery
- Bilal Nichols
- Neil Farrell Jr.
- John Jenkins
- Adam Butler
- Matthew Butler
Bilal Nichols was on the field for 71% of the defensive snaps last season, but he only had a tackle on 12.4% of his run snaps. He was able to create pressure with 11 quarterback hits but just 5% of his pressures turned into sacks.
Jerry Tillery is a similar player whose pass rush prowess is much better than his run defense.
His lack of run-stopping ability caused the Chargers to release the former first-round pick midway through the 2022 season. He spent the second half of the year with Las Vegas.
Andrew Billings was the Raiders’ best interior run defender — seventh at the position in ESPN’s run stop win rate — but he signed with the Bears in free agency.
John Jenkins and Adam Butler provide some veteran depth but not a ton of upside.
EDGE Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Maxx Crosby
- Chandler Jones
- Jordan Willis
- Malcolm Koonce
Maxx Crosby was one of the best overall defenders in the league last season.
Crosby had 36 quarterback hits, which ranked second behind Nick Bosa, and led the league in tackles for loss with 22. He was second among edge rushers in ESPN’s run stop win rate.
The Raiders have searched for a second rusher across from Crosby, and the 2022 version of Chandler Jones was not it.
Jones had 15 quarterback hits, but just 9.6% of his pressures turned into sacks. He turned 33 years old in February and has two years remaining on his contract.
Jordan Willis and Malcolm Koonce provide decent depth, but we should expect the Raiders to go more than four-deep at the position.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Divine Deablo
- Robert Spillane
- Luke Masterson
- Darien Butler
- Kana’i Mauga
- Curtis Bolton
Divine Deablo missed the second half of the season with a forearm injury, cutting short what could have been a breakout season for the second-year linebacker.
In just eight games, Deablo had 74 tackles and recorded a tackle on 25.6% of his run snaps.
Robert Spillane comes over from the Steelers after playing 55% of the defensive snaps in 2022. He signed a two-year deal this offseason.
Spillane had a tackle on 18% of his run snaps last season, but just 44% of his tackles produced a positive play for the defense.
The Raiders had the league’s sixth-lowest rate of base defense last season, with three linebackers on the field for just 17% of defensive snaps, per TruMedia.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Nate Hobbs
- Duke Shelley
- David Long Jr.
- Brandon Facyson
- Amik Robertson
- Tyler Hall
- Ike Brown
- Sam Webb
- Bryce Cosby
After an impressive rookie season, Nate Hobbs struggled on the outside during his second year and played in just 11 games. He ranked 70th among outside corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap.
The Raiders took a few swings to bring in bodies during free agency.
Duke Shelley was 28th among outside corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap with the Vikings last season, though that was aided by a ton of off zone coverage. He signed for just a one-year deal this offseason.
David Long played 26% of the defensive snaps with the Rams last season, but he ranked 82nd among outside corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap.
Brandon Facyson might have been the best of the bunch at 45th among outside corners.
Amik Robertson played the slot for the Raiders last season, but he ranked 41st among 42 qualified slot corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap.
Safety Depth Chart, Raiders:
- Tre’von Moehrig
- Marcus Epps
- Jaquan Johnson
- Roderic Teamer
- Jalen Elliott
- Isaiah Pola-Mao
Tre’von Moehrig played most of his snaps as a deep safety but took a bit of a step back — along with the rest of the Raiders’ defense — in his second season.
The Raiders had the 11th-highest rate of middle of the field closed coverages, which left Moehrig deep often.
On deep shots (20 or more air yards) against middle of the field closed coverage, the Raiders ranked 29th in EPA per play.
Marcus Epps also played often with the Eagles last season, logging 99% of the defensive snaps. Epps signed a two-year deal with the Raiders this offseason.
