The Raiders have a ton of draft capital going into the 2023 NFL Draft. They have 12 picks including the No. 7 overall selection. With just a few days until the draft, it feels like the Raiders will take a cornerback in Round 1.
But should they consider moving up from No. 38 and back into Round 1 to get another defensive stud? And who would even make sense for the Raiders to give up multiple picks to get?
In a recent mock draft by the senior writers at Pro Football Focus, they performed a seven-round mock draft. In Round 1, they had the Raiders selecting Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon.
But then, they had Las Vegas moving up to No. 22 to select Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey. Here is what the Raiders had to give up to select Kancey and his fit with Las Vegas:
The Raiders send Pick Nos. 38, 100 and 109 to the Ravens to move up to No. 22 and take Kancey. The Pittsburgh product gives Las Vegas a dynamic interior pass rusher who can lighten the load on Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.
If the Raiders are dead set on adding another defensive playmaker in Round 1, they certainly have the ammo to get a deal done. But do they need to move up from No. 38 to No. 22 to select Kancey? That’s the only real question here.
Expect the Raiders to be aggressive in this draft as they try to fix one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season. Leaving the first round of the draft with Devon Witherspoon and Calijah Kancey would be a fantastic start.