The Las Vegas Raiders ended the 2023 NFL Draft with nine selections, including four in the third and fourth rounds. The Raiders were able to fill needs on both sides of the ball, starting by taking a defensive end in the first round and a tight end in the second.
Who did the Las Vegas Raiders select with their 2023 NFL Draft selections?
Tyree Wilson – First Round, Pick 7
A former 3-star recruit out of New London, Texas, Wilson initially chose Texas Tech over offers from Arkansas, Washington State, Baylor, Florida, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Texas and TCU, among others, according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-6-inch defensive end played in 10 games for the Red Raiders in 2022, combining for 61 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks and one forced fumble.
Michael Mayer – Second Round, Pick 35
Mayer spent three seasons with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, garnering 2,099 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. The 6-foot-4-inch tight end has 36 games and 28 starts under his belt. He was an Associated Press Third Team All-American, Phil Steele All-American Fourth Team and John Mackey Award Semifinalist selection in 2021.
Byron Young – Third Round, Pick 70
Young, a 6-foot-3-inch defensive tackle out of Alabama, played in 54 games during his college career. He combined for 139 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three pass deflections and one forced fumble. The 294-pound lineman started all 13 games along the defensive line in 2022, according to Alabama’s website.
“Young has the prototypical build that most NFL teams look for in an interior defensive lineman with a thick lower half and a strong upper half,” wrote draft analyst Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network, via Raiders.com. “Young appears to have natural dominant strength that allows for him to be a plus-level run defender.”
Tre Tucker – Third Round, Pick 100
A former 3-star prospect out of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Tucker joined a 2019 Cincinnati recruiting class that ranked 64th in the country and featured six transfers. The 5-foot-9-inch wide receiver was a 2023 Senior Bowl Participant and All-AAC Second Team selection in 2020. In 50 career games, he hauled in 1,433 receiving yards, eight touchdowns and 112 receptions.
Jakorian Bennett – Fourth Round, Pick 104
A 5-foot-11-inch cornerback from Maryland, Bennett played 27 games and garnered 69 combined tackles during his time with the Terrapins. He won the Duke’s Mayo Bowl MVP in 2022 and was an invitee to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in 2023. He tied for third in the Big Ten in pass breakups and tied for fifth in passes defended in 2022, according to Maryland’s website.
Aidan O’Connell – Fourth Round, Pick 135
A former walk-on quarterback for the Purdue Boilermakers, O’Connell ended his lengthy Purdue career as the school’s all-time leader in completion percentage, passing efficiency and 500-yard passing games, according to the team’s website. The Raiders traded a fifth and sixth-round pick to the New England Patriots for the No. 135 overall selection, which they used to select the 24-year-old quarterback from Long Grove, Ill.
Christopher Smith II – Fifth Round, Pick 170
A former 4-star cornerback from Atlanta, Ga., Smith played in 58 games and racked up 133 combined tackles for the Georgia Bulldogs. The Associated Press All-American First Team selection recorded seven tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack against Florida in October.
“First and foremost, I think the main component to continuing to be a winner is consistency,” Smith said after being drafted, via Raiders.com. “And that was something that was really built into us at the University of Georgia. Also, not being complacent once you feel like you’ve made it, just stopping and not continuing to keep going.
“That’s a recipe for disaster. … That’s something I learned very early on at University of Georgia, and I think it translates well to the NFL.”
Amari Burney – Sixth Round, Pick 203
A former 4-star recruit out of Clearwater, Fla., the 6-foot-2-inch linebacker was a four-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll selectee at the University of Florida. He played in 58 games over five years at Florida, earning 223 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four interceptions and 16 pass deflections.
Nesta Jade Silvera – Seventh Round, Pick 231
A 6-foot-2-inch and 315-pound defensive lineman from Arizona State, Nesta Jade Silvera appeared in all 12 games and started in the last ten for the Sun Devils, according to the team’s website. He ended the season with 55 total tackles, good enough to place fourth on the roster behind linebacker Merlin Robertson, defensive back Khoury Bethley and linebacker Kyle Soelle.
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