NFL Draft Prospects Raiders Must Target After 2023 Shrine, Senior Bowls

The Las Vegas Raiders were a playoff team just two years ago, but they appear to be headed for a significant rebuild after stumbling to a 6-11 record in 2022.

The process will start with finding a new quarterback. The Raiders have decided to turn the page on Derek Carr, and they have given him permission to speak with other teams about a trade, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

They must also address a defense that ranked 28th in the league last season while re-signing or replacing impending free agents like Josh Jacobs, Rock Ya-Sin and Mack Hollins.

While Las Vegas is projected to have $17.5 million in cap space —and it will gain another $29.3 million when it dumps Carr —we can expect the team to do a fair amount of reloading in the 2023 draft.

Las Vegas, along with the rest of the NFL, got an early look at some draft prospects last week in the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl.

Here, we'll dive into three of the standouts from those games who the Raiders should be eying heading into the next stage of the pre-draft process.

BJ Thompson, Edge, Stephen F. Austin

AP Photo/Eric Gay

UTSA quarterback Frank Harris (0) is chased by Stephen F. Austin defensive end BJ Thompson (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The Raiders finally got some production out of prized offseason addition Chandler Jones late in the season. However, he still only finished with 4.5 sacks, while Las Vegas logged a mere 27 sacks as a team.

Finding another pass-rusher to complement Jones and Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby would be ideal.

While the Raiders may target a different position early in the draft—quite possibly a quarterback—they can still find a solid contributor in the middle rounds. BJ Thompson, out of Stephen F. Austin, could be the perfect Day 3 target.

He generated a lot of buzz during Shrine Bowl practices.

"He started off well by weighing in at 238 pounds—a massive gain from the 210 pounds he was listed at in 2021," Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus wrote. "He compounded that by maintaining the trademark explosiveness. ...That explosiveness combined with his 82.5-inch wingspan was too much for FCS tackles this past fall ...and it was also too much for the tackles at the Shrine Bowl."

Thompson might not be enough of a finished product to star for the Raiders right away, but he has the physical tools needed to be a future big-time contributor.

Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State

Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

MOBILE, AL - FEBRUARY 02: National quarterback Jake Haener of Fresno State (9) during the Reese's Senior Bowl team practice session on February 2, 2023 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Neither the Shrine Bowl nor the Senior Bowl featured a quarterback that Las Vegas might consider with the seventh overall pick. However, the team cannot end its search on Day 1, and Fresno State's Jake Haener should be firmly on its radar for Day 3.

The 23-year-old was named the Senior Bowl MVP after going 13-of-19 for 139 yards and the game's only passing touchdown. His performance capped a strong week, and he should now be firmly in the draft conversation.

"There wasn't a stellar group of quarterbacks in Mobile, but I thought Haener flashed the most of this year's crop," NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah wrote. "The ball jumped out of his hands during practice, and he was accurate. He's already shown he's tough, coming back from an ankle injury last season and spearheading the Bulldogs' run to a Mountain West championship."

While going from one Fresno State product in Carr to another in Haener would be ironic, it could also make plenty of sense.

If Las Vegas targets a veteran such as Jimmy Garoppolo or even Aaron Rodgers and doesn't draft a QB early, Haener could be the perfect developmental prospect for head coach Josh McDaniels.

Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami

Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - SEPTEMBER 03: Miami Hurricanes cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (2) covers his zone during the game between the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats and the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, September 3, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Quarterback is Las Vegas' biggest need with Carr's exit imminent, but it also desperately needs help in the secondary.

This past season, the Raiders ranked 28th in yards per pass allowed (6.7), 29th in passing yards allowed and 26th in points allowed. Cornerback is a position they should target early and often in the draft.

If it doesn't target a QB early, perhaps Las Vegas will go after a blue-chip prospect like Penn State's Joey Porter Jr.—the fifth-ranked prospect in the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's end-of-season draft rankings—with its first pick. Even if that's the play, targeting a player like Miami's Tyrique Stevenson later in the draft would make plenty of sense.

The 22-year-old was another standout in Senior Bowl practices.

"Stevenson is my highest-rated cornerback here in Mobile, and he was really consistent on Tuesday and Wednesday before not participating in practice on Thursday," Jeremiah wrote. "He can get a little too handsy in coverage at times, but he proved he can run with the all-star wide receivers. He's a feisty player."

Stevenson, who logged seven passes defended and two interceptions last season, is exactly the sort of aggressive and instinctive talent Las Vegas needs throughout its secondary.

---

*Salary-cap information via Spotrac.