Predicting Raiders' Early 2024 NFL Draft Big Board
The Las Vegas Raiders got their first look at some of their 2023 NFL draft class at their first rookie minicamp.
They'll be calling upon the class of nine draft picks and a few undrafted free agents to help improve a team that went 6-11 in Josh McDaniels' first season as head coach.
McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler got an opportunity to add their personal touch to the roster with this draft class. If they want to continue to lead the organization, this class will need to work out, and they'll have to find difference-makers in 2024 too.
Their scouting department is assuredly already getting to work on that. The draft cycle is truly year-round for teams, and with this year's event now a few weeks old, they are undoubtedly turning their attention to 2024 prospects.
Based on potential team needs and a draft position that could wind up toward the middle of the draft board if they improve, here's a look at the top three prospects they should be doing their research on.
3. WR Rome Odunze, Washington
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The San Francisco 49ers laid out the blueprint to being successful on offense with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. The answer is surrounding him with an elite group of weapons. That's what San Francisco has, and it has allowed their offense to thrive with a wide array of quarterbacks.
Drake Maye and Caleb Williams figure to be the top quarterback prospects in the class of 2024, but the Raiders will have to be really bad to have a chance to draft them.
Las Vegas came in at No. 22 in our post-draft power rankings. That's probably not bad enough to be in the running for the elite quarterback prospects.
So the Silver and Black could be in a position where the best path forward is to surround Jimmy G with as much talent as possible and hope for the best.
Rome Odunze would certainly be a boost to the receiving corps. The team added Jakobi Meyers in free agency this season, but there's some overlap between his game and Hunter Renfrow's.
Drafting the 6'3", 211-pound receiver from Las Vegas would bring a different dimension to the group. He would be a blue-chip version of what Mack Hollins brought to the table last season.
If the opportunity to upgrade at quarterback doesn't present itself, then Odunze is the next best thing.
2. DL Maason Smith, LSU
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If you want a sneak peek of who some of the hottest prospects will be in the future, Bruce Feldman's annual list of exceptional athletes in college football is a good resource.
Four of the top 10 players on the 2022 version ended up being first-round selections.
The 2023 edition has yet to come out, but Maason Smith came in at No. 12 last year. Feldman noted that Smith, who was 6'5", 300 pounds, has been clocked at 19.5 miles per hour by GPS and can touch 11 feet with his vertical jump.
Smith has been somewhat forgotten. After notching four sacks in seven games as a freshman, he only played in one game before tearing his ACL.
Now Smith returned to Baton Rouge for another season and is listed at 6'6", 310 pounds.
He profiles as an interior defender who can line up anywhere from outside the tackle to 3-technique.
As long as Smith is healthy, he should be a one-man wrecking crew on LSU's defensive line. The Raiders could steal a page from the Eagles' book by continuing to pour resources into their defensive line.
Smith would be a great complementary player on the inside as a player who will command double teams on the interior. Bilal Nichols is the closest thing the Raiders have to that kind of player right now.
1. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
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If there's a glaring piece missing that you'd like to see on this Las Vegas roster, it's a shutdown cornerback.
There were plenty of mock drafts that had the Raiders taking a cornerback like Devon Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez with their first pick. Instead, the Raiders opted to go with a pass rusher in Tyree Wilson, who could give Maxx Crosby an elite running mate for years to come.
That's an important part of building a defense, too, but the Raiders will need to continue their search for a corner who can anchor the secondary. They took some swings on external veterans in Duke Shelley and David Long Jr., but neither has a long track record of being a successful starter.
They are good stop-gaps but not long-term answers.
Kool-Aid McKinstry looks like he could be the top corner in next year's draft. At 6'1", 195 pounds, he has the size to disrupt bigger receivers and was strong in coverage while playing against plenty of good receivers in the SEC.
According to PFF data, McKinstry saw 80 targets thrown his way and only allowed 37 receptions for 352 yards for a passer rating of 57.9.
He would pair with Wilson to give the Raiders a dynamic duo to build the defense around.
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