Raiders 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Post-Derek Carr Trade Scenario

The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of work to do in the 2023 offseason in order to be the competitive squad we all expected them to be last year. Luckily, they have plenty of cap room and nine draft picks with which to add to their team. Currently, they hold their own picks in the first five rounds plus Atlanta’s fifth rounder (thanks to the Bryan Edwards trade) and Dallas’ sixth rounder (thanks to the Johnathan Hankins trade). In addition, the Raiders own New England’s seventh-round pick (acquired in the trade for Jarrett Stidham) and Arizona’s seventh-round selection (Trayvon Mullen trade). One more thing that could put more bullets in the Raiders’ clip, is a potential Derek Carr trade.

Let’s presume that Carr is traded to Carolina. They recently hired new head coach Frank Reich, who tried to get the Colts to acquire Carr more than once when Reich was head coach there. The Panthers nearly won the NFC South with Sam Darnold at quarterback plus some combination of Baker Mayfield and P.J. Walker, so it’s a good bet that they would have actually won their division with a quarterback of Carr’s caliber.

Since Carr has several suitors (including basically every team in the NFC South), the price for his services in a trade would be higher than usual. The Panthers are in a tremendous position to make that trade because they received several picks from the 49ers in the Christian McCaffrey trade. They own San Francisco’s second, third, and fourth round picks in 2023. In a potential trade for Derek Carr, expect the Raiders to acquire at least second and fourth rounders and possibly a future pick as well.

Here’s a Raiders’ three-round mock draft with that Derek Carr trade in mind.

Raiders NFL Mock Draft – Round 1, Pick 7: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

Depending on what the Raiders do at quarterback in the free agency period, this pick could go several different ways. If they sign a veteran like Tom Brady, they could trade out of this spot if some other team wants to move up to get Will Levis or Anthony Richardson. One way or the other, however, the new Raiders QB will need better protection. Skoronski is the best offensive tackle in the draft, and the Raiders have never had a true bookend tackle across from Kolton Miller.