What the NFL Draft Will Tell Us About the Las Vegas Raiders

This year's NFL Draft will say a lot about the current state of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Las Vegas Raiders are days away from one of the most critical NFL Draft they’ve had in recent memory.

It will be the first draft of a new regime, officially marking the first significant milestone in a new era of Raiders football. As they turn the page from the days of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, Las Vegas now turns to General Manager Tom Telesco and Coach Antonio Pierce to help take the organization back to the days of being a competitive, playoff-contending team.

The Raiders ended last season, barely missing the playoffs. Most in and around the organization felt they were just a few pieces and a little good luck of being in the playoff mix heading into this season. Telesco got to work as soon as possible, making the additions — and subtractions — necessary to help improve the Raiders’ roster as quickly as possible.

He made one of the most significant free-agency moves by signing defensive lineman Christian Wilkins. Telesco also solidified the Raiders' group of running backs and added to the quarterback room, all while ensuring the Raiders had one of the best defensive lines in the league.

Las Vegas’ roster had more holes that could be filled in the first few weeks of free agency. However, it has another method of adding quality players to its team to help it add to the win column next season: the NFL Draft.

The Raiders have the No.13 pick in the draft and have two central holes on their team that need to be filled, with one area on the roster needing much more help than the other. Las Vegas could use another cornerback on its roster. However, it desperately needs more legitimate offensive linemen if it hopes to be a playoff contender next season.

Currently, the Raiders' roster is pretty thin on the offensive line. The right side of their offensive line needs both starting-caliber offensive linemen and depth behind those players. 

For most of the offseason, it has been suggested the Raiders trade up for a quarterback, use the No.13 pick for a quarterback or draft a player to fill one of their two most pressing needs. Telesco will have a tough decision. His decision of who to draft will answer just how close to playoff contention Telesco and the Raiders feel they are. 

Suppose the Raiders use the No.13 pick on a quarterback after the season quarterback  Aidan O’Connell had with the lack of many resources and after signing Gardner Minshew II. In that case, it says the Raiders feel they are further from competing for a playoff spot than they’ve admitted so far. 

If they draft a cornerback with the 13th-overall pick, the Raiders are going all in on defense. However, if they draft an offensive lineman with that pick, it is a clear sign that Telesco and the Raiders realize just how close they are to competing for a playoff spot and are taking the responsible route to get there.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.