Raider Ramble

We’re in NFL Draft month — finally. And as such, the number of prognostications and mock scenarios is going to exponentially multiply as we approach the three-day 2023 NFL Draft extravaganza, April 27–29. So, that brings you to this: My 2.0 Las Vegas Raiders mock draft. That being said, what does general manager Dave Ziegler have up his sleeve? The initial version was a BPA-only version to show what it may look like if the Raiders selected the best player available with each of their 12 picks. This incarnation still takes the BPA approach that both Las Vegas general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels have been boisterously noting is their plan of action. Now, unless both are lying through their teeth — which is possible — the BPA philosophy is still present in this version, however, with the mix of need. That’s something both have said is integral to the process because, if BPA results in a tie on particular prospects, “need” would be the tiebreaker. So, let’s get into it. I used a number of mock draft simulators to get a flavor and ran scenarios before settling in and engaging with this run through: