2023 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders get aggressive for top pick, Bryce Young
With Super Bowl LVII in the books, every team now turns their attention to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas and how they can win the 2023 NFL offseason. This year’s crop of free agents is already fascinating, and it’s going to get even crazier with cap casualties and trades going down around the league. We’ve already seen Derek Carr hit the market, what’s going to happen next? The Super Bowl being in the books means it’s officially 2023 NFL mock draft season for every NFL team.
How will this year’s first round turn out? Well, odds are you’ve got a better shot at predicting the entire March Madness pool correctly than getting even half of a mock draft right, but it’s always fun to look at options and fits for players and teams. Let’s take a look at another 2023 NFL mock draft scenario where the Las Vegas Raiders get aggressive, and make a move up the board.
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders move up aggressively after Derek Carr release
1. Las Vegas Raiders (trade with Bears): Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
Why do so many 2023 NFL mock draft scenarios have the Las Vegas Raiders trading up into the first overall pick with the Chicago Bears? There are a few reasons. First, but maybe not most importantly, the Raiders are within the top 10 picks and can make it a little easier for the Bears to justify trading out. Beyond that, they released Derek Carr, who has now taken (or is taking) visits with the Saints and Jets.
With no Derek Carr, the Raiders have jumped into the quarterback market in a big way, and I think we could see Josh McDaniels make an aggressive move to go and get Bryce Young. We know the Patriots have a great admiration for Nick Saban and the Alabama program, and Young is someone who could be inserted into the Raiders’ lineup and have success almost immediately.
If you’re a Raiders fan, dream up the trade value here. If you’re a Bears fan, dream up the trade value as well. You can bet that it would cost Las Vegas at least multiple first-round picks and multiple early day-two picks to get from 7th overall into this slot.
2. Houston Texans: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Now that the Houston Texans have a new head coach in place in DeMeco Ryans, he’s begun building his coaching staff. The Texans’ new offensive coordinator is going to be young Bobby Slowik, the latest branch of the Shanahan coaching tree and a former employee of Pro Football Focus (from 2014-16). Although the folks at PFF like Will Levis over CJ Stroud this year, I think you get Slowik someone to develop one way or the other.
3. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
As fate would have it, one of the only defensive coaches to get hired in this year’s head coaching cycle — Jonathan Gannon — gets to use his first-ever NFL Draft pick on the top non-QB on his board. Along with GM Monti Ossenfort (a former Patriots exec where they undoubtedly love Crimson Tide players), Gannon gets himself a big-time force off the edge to adequately replace Chandler Jones over the long haul. Gannon is taking over a team that needs so many pieces. Anderson is a good spot to start.
4. Indianapolis Colts: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
I think it is going to be fascinating to see what the NFL really thinks of someone like Will Levis. We debated last offseason over guys like Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, and Desmond Ridder, only to see one of them selected in the first two rounds. You hear and read everything from people being scared of Levis as the next possible Carson Wentz to people who view him as perhaps the next Josh Allen. Luckily for the Colts, they just hired Shane Steichen, who has developed Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts at his last two stops.