Raiders 2023 Draft Class Can be Foundational

This Las Vegas Raiders rookie class has a chance to build a foundation for the team.

The Las Vegas Raiders are heading into year two under the regime of Coach Josh McDaniels and General Manager Dave Ziegler.

Oftentimes when franchises change regimes, their impact is felt after the first season. After having a disappointing 6-11 record and missing the playoffs, Ziegler made significant roster changes.

Ziegler moved on from longtime franchise quarterback Derek Carr and star tight end Darren Waller, two of the Raiders’ most significant contributors in seasons past. He also signed 17 new faces to the roster, several of which will likely be essential players.

An important thing to note with a lot of the Raiders’ free agent acquisitions is that many of them have spent time with McDaniels when he was the Offensive Coordinator with the New England Patriots, including quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer and wide receivers Jakobi Meyers, and Phillip Dorsett.

This year’s 2023 NFL Draft class was Ziegler’s second, but this class comprises nine players, four of which were selected in the first three rounds. The Raiders’ first draft pick in 2022 didn’t come until the third round when they selected Dylan Parham.

For several reasons, the 2023 draft class has a chance to be a foundational class for Ziegler. The players in this class are at premium positions, including defensive end Tyree Wilson, who plays arguably the most premium position on defense. They also drafted quarterback Aidan O’Connell of Purdue, who has a chance to be the Raiders’ quarterback of the future.

Another reason the class has a chance to be foundational is because of the leadership characteristics of many of the players in the class. Several of them, including defensive tackle Byron Young and safety Christopher Smith II, have been lauded for their football IQ and intangibles. Having players like this can be instrumental in building the culture of a football team.

The Raiders will look noticeably different in 2023 than in 2022, which was expected as McDaniels and Ziegler look to build the team in their vision. In doing so, they added a draft class that could establish a new culture of Raiders football for years due to their positional value and intangible qualities.

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