The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft had a ton of surprises. There wasn’t anyone when the Carolina Panthers drafted Bryce Young with the first overall pick. It was not shocking either to see the Houston Texans taking C.J. Stroud. Although there were plenty of trades early from then on.
A team that had a top 10 pick was the Las Vegas Raiders. They have a lot of needs, including a long-term player at quarterback despite signing Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency. Young and Stroud weren’t there, but Anthony Richardson had also been selected by the Indianapolis Colts.
Their defense appeared as the unit to improve unless they really liked an offensive tackle. Despite Will Anderson Jr. and Devon Witherspoon were already taken, a player like Jalen Carter was still available. It was clear with the decision they made that stopping Patrick Mahomes definitely appeared as a part of the thought process.
Patrick Mahomes reacts to Las Vegas Raiders’ pick
Improving the defense was the approach Las Vegas had on day 1. That’s why they selected Tyree Wilson with the seventh overall pick. Their idea of pairing the defensive end with Maxx Crosby on the other side could be huge to make them a better defense to compete against the powerful offense of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Something else to note about their selection is the college he comes from. Wilson played the last three years of his career at Texas Tech, the same university where Mahomes graduated from as well. The Super Bowl champion made sure to post a message to the player he will be clashing with for years in the AFC West. “Take it easy on me big dawg!! @tyreewilson77 congrats tho!!”, Mahomes posted on his Twitter account.
