Behind the Scenes of the Raiders NFL Draft Part Two

In this series of articles taking you inside the Las Vegas Raiders 2023 NFL Draft, today we start looking at the morning before the second round.

HENDERSON, Nev.--Las Vegas Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler guided the Silver and Black through his second NFL Draft, but the first with a full quiver of picks to shape the franchise's future.

We worked the phones for weeks in preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft, which continued through that weekend, and after as I garnered information from multiple people around the NFL on what happened behind the scenes of this colossal event.

Here is part two of those nuggets of information:

· When Dave Ziegler started his day early on Saturday morning of the NFL Draft, he started where it ended.

· He knew that he wanted to move up.

· He also knew what the rest of the NFL World knew, that the Pittsburgh Steelers would select Joey Porter, Jr.

· The Steelers are a tight-knit organization. They love the familial way that their organization is run, and it has been that way for decades.

· When Ziegler clarified that he wanted their pick, the Steelers “Entertained” it.

· Even with assurances from Ziegler that he wouldn’t take Porter, what the Raiders offered wouldn’t allow the Steelers certainty that they would get Porter. While the offer was more than fair, Ziegler wouldn’t overpay to compensate the Steelers for the loss of Porter.

· The Silver and Black moved on.

· Ziegler was interested in and possibly would have taken Porter had he been able to move up into the late first round, but it wasn’t like the Raiders didn’t have a sizeable list of cornerbacks that they liked and thought could impact the team.

· Ziegler wanted Michael Mayer; he coveted him. He knew what Josh McDaniels could do with a player of his caliber, and since the moment the first round ended, he was on a mission to make sure he was wearing Silver and Black when he debuted as a rookie in the NFL in 2023.

· The elation was tangible when the Raiders moved up to get Michael Mayer, the TE from Notre Dame.

· In all of their pre-draft MOCKS, the Raiders hadn’t seen a scenario in which they would have been able to get him.

· While McDaniels is an offensive mind and knew what Mayer could do in his scheme, he had learned from his time in Denver.

· McDaniels wasn’t approaching the NFL Draft as an offensive mind. He is now looking at things as a Chief Executive Officer.

· One NFL Executive who has spoken to McDaniels since coming to Las Vegas told me: “Josh isn’t the same guy. He trusts Dave Ziegler. He needs Dave, and to Josh’s credit, he has grown as a man, as a person, and he knows that. If they (Ziegler and McDaniels) can survive long enough in Las Vegas to show what they are establishing, it will be very evident to everyone. Mark (Davis) I believe sees it, and it is pretty evident around the league.”

· Ziegler moved on quickly once the pick was made; after some handshakes and congratulations, he returned to work.

· One member of the NFL told me: “Here he is, already have spent two picks, both are starters, both are long-time answers, both are high first round grades, and his patience and prudence had paid off. Dave wouldn’t tell you this, he doesn’t spike the football, it isn’t who he is, but his drafting did.”

· Another NFL Executive said: “I think Dave showed a lot of people in New England why he at times in the past had been vocal about some of the Patriots strategy. Dave had been a voice in that organization for some time, but that isn’t a place that likes a lot of voices, really there is only one voice.”

· He added" “Some picks in the past for the Pats, Dave was not a big fan of and he voiced it, and now on national TV with millions of people watching, he was showing what he could do, what he had wanted to do, and the team he was doing it for was better. I was happy for Dave, really one of the good guys in our sport.”

· Ziegler was back at work, and he had some critical needs. The Raiders desperately needed help at safety and corner; Ziegler had to get playmakers at those spots. The Raiders' takeaway numbers on defense were embarrassing.

· On the offensive line, while not as bad as some thought, he knew it needed an upgrade.

· The Raiders needed at least one linebacker with coverage skills and an interior defensive presence who could stand tall against the rush. A special teams dude was a must. Ziegler and McDaniels know that in a league known for parity, often the difference is special teams.

· A quarterback would not be a top target on day two unless something had gone terribly wrong, but there was a lot to see.

· The Raiders tried to move back up in the second round for some players with high first-round value.

· One player that they loved was offensive lineman Cody Mauch. The problem was that the price to go get him would have been high.

· Ziegler knew he needed multiple players, and the way the draft unfolded with some head-scratching picks, the value was coming Ziegler’s way.

· Ziegler was more than willing to pay the prices needed to move up, but the resounding theme was that he wouldn’t overpay.

· With the cost of moving up too high, the Raiders began noticing something interesting.

· The Raiders loved Byron Young.

· Young is a brutal interior force. While they had a very short list of defensive tackles that they felt were more talented in a well-rounded way than Young, they loved him. He was the best rushing defensive tackle in the NFL Draft.

· Ziegler and his team rated him as a second-round value with first-round potential.

· Young had shined at Alabama against the run. He didn’t have the pass-rushing credentials that some fans wanted. He wasn’t a Jalen Carter or a Calijah Kancey, but he could become that. Similar to Kancey, his character was outstanding, and his work ethic was stellar.

· That was because of the loaded Alabama defense; the Tide would often sub in guys in obvious pass-rushing situations. The Alabama Crimson Tide has what most college teams, and NFL teams for that matter, don’t, depth.

· Of course, NFL defensive tackles are more talented than what scours the fields for the Tide, but with a 53-man roster, you can’t substitute players like the Tide can in college.

· Patrick Graham was able to coach Byron Young in the Senior Bowl, and the Raiders were impressed with his ability to rush the quarterback.

· While Young didn’t have a ton of reps doing that, they saw that he was not only the best interior rushing defensive tackle, they felt he was undervalued as a rusher.

· Haloti Ngata is a player in rushing defense that many people equate Young two, although the two men are entirely different.

· Ngata is significantly bigger, but Young’s speed and strength require offensive double-teams, and thus is a space-eater like Ngata.

· Again, I am not saying that Young and Ngata are the same players, but they have similar results as space eaters requiring multiple blockers, thus creating space for linebackers to make tackles.

· Young’s reps at the Senior Bowl included many in the pass-rushing game, and the Raiders staff was impressed.

· Young’s strength and speed showed great burst, and he was a disruptor.

· When word came back to Henderson after the Senior Bowl that Young was much more advanced as a rusher, the staff went to work.

· They began to do all of the research as to why he didn’t have more pass-rushing stats.

· They were told by coaches at Alabama that Young didn’t get as many reps early in his career in obvious pass-rushing situations because of the depth that the Crimson Tide has.

· In 2022, Young, according to the coaches at Alabama: “Had earned the right to rush the passer more,” and heading into the season, he had four career sacks.

· Staying on the field more in 2022 in obvious passing situations, he had 3.5, nearly doubling his career sack total.

· In their research, the Raiders knew that four teams had seen Young “Pop” at the Senior Bowl and had a strong interest in him.  Specifically the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and New England Patriots, among others.

· With a second-round grade with first-round potential, Young was near the top of the Raiders defensive tackle board.

· Every time they talked to Young, they loved him more.

· No colleges around the NFL are more respected than Alabama, and only a few are as respected when it comes to their players.

· The reason is that other programs will lie to scouts or not tell the full story. Subsequently, teams are burned when asking coaches for evaluations on players.

· Nick Saban and his staff tell the players they won’t lie to scouts. One scout told me: “Nick tells his guys that ‘my job is to get you to the NFL, and you help me by the effort you put in every day. I won’t punish future players in this program by lying for you.’ If you are a Nick player, he will put his name on the line for you if you’ve earned it, and if you haven’t, that tells us a lot as well.”

· Saban and his staff loved Young and had nothing but praise for anyone in the NFL listening. The word was getting out.

· The film continued to tell the story, and when Ziegler had a chance to steal him in the third round, he did just that.

· It wasn’t a sexy pick; it was not going to make Raider Nation immediately in masse run to NFL.com and order a jersey, but here is what it was.

· It was a Dave Ziegler pick. It came with a ton of research. It was a pick that came with extra effort and work, and while Raider Nation maybe didn’t know Young, they will, and Ziegler put his name on the pick.

· Yet again, Ziegler had made a monster pick, a versatile guy that played the game out of love. Football wasn’t a job for Young; it was a passion.

· The joy from the Raiders offices when they sent the pick of Young in was thick, they were three picks into this draft, and we have already addressed three gaping holes.

· Ziegler wasn’t shocked. He isn’t arrogant about himself, but he believes in the staff. The Young pick worked because the entire staff had worked on it.

· The anticipation was rising.

· Ziegler was back at it.

· With the 100th (third Round) pick in the draft, they needed a playmaker.

· Since Henry Ruggs had been dismissed from the team, the Raiders had quality receivers, but they didn’t have speed. They didn’t have a player that could create space for Davante Adams, and now Jakobi Meyers, and take the top off a defense.

· In watching the film of the 2022 season after it ended, McDaniels was well aware that as good as Adams was, he needed help. Teams were cheating in their defense on Adams because they hadn’t feared what was going on behind them downfield.

· Davante Adams's stats were even more impressive when you realized that all he did, was without a team threatened by a deep route runner and knowing he was the primary target.

· As their third-round pick, the 100th overall, approached, Ziegler felt good when looking at his draft board.

· There were several guys that they felt were significantly more valuable than the 100th slot; Ziegler knew they were going to get an impact player.

· When the name Tre Tucker, wide receiver, Cincinnati, was announced, Raider Nation gasped.

· This is not the article that explains why I think Hunter Renfrow will not be a Raider next fall, but here are the details on Tucker.

· The Raiders rated him an elite special teams player in the NFL Draft. They weren’t alone.

· Tucker has top-end speed and is a star at kick and punt returns. That is something heading into the draft that Ziegler, McDaniels, and the rest of the Raiders leadership team knew they had to address.

· Additionally, Tucker was one of the highest-rated slots, and his speed was spectacular.

· Tucker reminded many inside the Raiders facilities of a New England Patriot that had blossomed under Josh McDaniels in Julian Edelman.

· The biggest difference is that Edelman couldn’t hold a candle to Tucker’s speed.

· The Raiders wouldn’t have taken Tucker here, but it made sense with his work ethic, speed, and Julian Edelman qualities.

· They took him because of all that and his stand-out special teams talent.

· The Raiders had targeted some defenders and even an offensive lineman, and it ended up they weren’t there. With his versatility and talent, Tucker made him almost a two-for-one pick. A terrific slot and a special teams dude made him too valuable to pass on.

· The Raiders had walked away from day two of the 2023 NFL Draft, having selected three more players to accompany Tyree Wilson.

· They loved all three.

· Mayer is a superstar in the making, an offensive version of a Maxx Crosby.

· Young, a beast of a run defender, they are certain will blossom as a pass rusher and Julian Edelman 2.0 with speed.

· All four picks were highly valued, they didn’t overpay for anyone, and Ziegler knew he had seven picks left.

· No one expected the Raiders to make seven picks on day three, but they did know that Ziegler had the capital value that means a lot more in the NFL than cash; he had picks to deal with.

· But it wasn’t just about picks. Ziegler was proud of his staff. He loved this team he had assembled, and he knew that on day three, many mistakes were made. Mistakes his pain stacking process, and diligent scouts and staff wouldn’t make. Others had picks, but others didn’t have Ziegler’s staff.

· Day three would be more than just picking. It was going to be selecting.

· The Raiders were going hunting, and Ziegler was confident.

Check back Tuesday for part three of our series Behind the Las Vegas Raiders 2023 NFL Draft.

The Raiders' offseason workout schedule is as follows:

OTA Offseason workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 31-June 2, June 12-15

Mandatory Minicamp: June 6-8

Rookie Minicamp: May 12-14

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