Raiders Nab Top Pass Rusher in Todd McShay's First 2023 Mock Draft

The NFL enters the final month of the regular season in Week 15 and the league is beginning to get a clear look at the playoff picture. This also coincides with the end of college football's regular season, which makes it the perfect time to look ahead at the 2023 NFL Draft.

ESPN's Todd McShay unveiled his first mock draft on Tuesday and has the Las Vegas Raiders nabbing a top pass rusher in the first round.

McShay used ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) for the order of his first mock, having the Raiders picking No. 8 overall. He thinks the Raiders will select defensive end Tyree Wilson from Texas Tech. Wilson would be the first defensive end taken off the board and just the second defensive lineman in the mock.

Getting after the quarterback has been a problem for Las Vegas, and not just this season. The team owns 25 sacks (24th) and 95 pressures (24th) this season. McShay also notes "only four teams have fewer sacks over the past two seasons."

McShay believes the Raiders could go a couple of different routes with this pick, however. Derek Carr has an opt out in his contract this offseason, which could make QB a priority, and the offensive line continues to deseperately need help.

Either way, the Raiders are on pace to finish with a top-10 pick in the 2023 draft and must make the best choice for the future of the franchise.

Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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