Picking the best Day 3 draft targets for the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of 2024 NFL Combine

The Las Vegas Raiders have a ton of hard decisions to make regarding their roster. Obviously, free agency comes first, but the NFL draft is where they will make the future core of the roster. With the NFL Combine this week, all eyes are on some huge prospects. The Raiders are there in Indianapolis, Indiana, to see what all happens, interview players, and watch workouts.

We know all of the needs this team needs. They are a team that barely missed out on the playoffs last season with a terrible offense. The defense made a huge jump from one of the worst units in 2022 to one of the best in 2023. Yet, there are holes on both sides of the roster.

For offense, they need a quarterback, obviously, and we know they are looking to move up and get one. They need some help on the offensive line, as they have their starting center, starting right guard, and starting right tackle all entering free agency, so it can be said they will target the offensive line in the draft at least once.

At A to Z Sports, we have been doing our series of best draft picks per round. In these series, we act as if the team picks with the trade they currently have and does not get any trades. In round one, we chose defensive tackle Byron Murphy, and in round two, we chose offensive tackle Patrick Paul. In the third round, we saw Michael Penix fall to the Raiders. In this case, the Raiders pick at 113, 147, 210, 221, and 227. And I happen to have the perfect picks for the Raiders when they go on the clock.

Now, remember, this is the perfect pick. So, in a perfect world, this is who the Raiders should pick.

Raiders should target Mizzou CB Kris Abrams-Draine with their fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Raiders obviously need to find another cornerback to pair with Jack Jones, and while we thought Jakorian Bennett could be a great piece. he didn't do much last season. Now, a lot of that is because of the emergence of Amik Robertson, but Robertson is set to be a free agent. So, they need to go get another cornerback regardless; that way, they can start building an elite unit in the back end.

A lot of people don't know about Abrams-Draine, mainly because when they think of defensive players on the Mizzou Tigers, it's usually Robinson and Rakestraw. However, Abrams-Draine was good, too. He helped a great Mizzou secondary in 2023. While Rakestraw was the guy taking on the other team's best wide receivers, the team would gameplan against Abrams-Draine, and he would step up to the occasion.

Abrams-Draine has adequate speed and closing burst with rare composure and ball-tracking skills down the sideline. He's a reliable wrap-up tackler and has sudden transitions to recover when he's stacked or out-leveraged. Abrams-Draine can gear up and down instantly and synchronize movements and speed changes with the wide receiver he's covering. He's sticky in press-man and stays connected when he lands his punch. Abrams-Draine also has a smooth change of direction and can swivel his hips and explode out of turns to recover leverage.

His attitude, humbleness, and ability to play press-man make him a great fit for this Patrick Graham defense. There is a chance he could fall to the fourth round, and if so, the Raiders should take a chance on him.

Raiders should target Arkansas IOL Beaux Limmer with their fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

As we said earlier, the Raiders need offensive line help this offseason, and this class is full of centers who can also play guards. If you ask me, Andre James, the Raiders center in 2023, will not be back with the team in 2024. So, they should definitely draft either a guard or a center. Dylan Parham can play both, so they are a little more flexible.

In this case, they can get the third-best center in this draft in Beaux Limmer out of Arkansas. He can also play guard but is certainly better at center. Limmer was the only bright spot on the Arkansas Razorbacks offensive line.

Limmer has great agility and hand movement for his size. He can get to that second level if needed and is a pretty durable player. He had very few bad snaps during his time at Arkansas and is a player who still has a ton of potential to get better. He may be able to come in and start right away at the center position if Parham would rather play guard. He would be a great pick in the fifth round if available, which he should be.

Raiders should target Baylor DT Gabe Hall with their sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

Obviously, we took Byron Murphy in the first round in this series, but the Raiders have a huge need at DT. They need to get Maxx Crosby some help, especially on the inside. Murphy would obviously be a starter if this were to happen, and the Raiders would have to sign someone else. However, Hall could be a great rotational piece. He may never be a superstar player, but that's okay; he could be what the Raiders need.

Hall has amazing athletic testing numbers and a great size. He is in the 95th percentile of DTs when it comes to size. He can take up space but is also athletic enough to make a huge impact at the line. His arm length could be of great use to him as well.

The biggest knock on Hall is that his size and potential weren't really showing up as production on the field. He has a lot of work to do, but with the right people around him, he could be a great ball player.

Raiders should target Ohio State S Josh Proctor with their seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Raiders need help in the secondary, even with Epps and Moehrig back there at safety. They drafted Chris Smith last season, and he played well when he saw the field, but they may as well fill the depth in at the position through the draft with one of their two seventh-round draft picks.

Josh Proctor played at Ohio State, where he may have been the best secondary player on his team; as a guy who is projected to go late in the sixth or early in the seventh round, that says a lot. To me, it also says that Ohio State didn't have the best secondary, and they got beat quite a bit. Sometimes, I feel like he tried to make up for others around him, and it ended up making him look bad.

Now, don't get me wrong, Proctor has some flaws. However, his 6'1" size with his nearly 32-inch arms make him a prospect you can't overlook. It will be interesting to see what his 40-yard dash ends up being at the combine to see how fast he really is, but he could be a developmental piece for the Raiders.

Raiders should target TCU G Brandon Coleman with their second seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Raiders may as well go after another guard since Greg Van Roten is entering free agency, and we really don't know what will happen with this team and their $60 million in cap space. Coleman is a guy who could easily be developed into a started or second-round guy, and his athletic comps and size are what really stick out. It's not really the height, and that's fine, but his arms and hands are in the 87th percentile of all guards in this drill, which is amazing.

He sits at 6'4" and weighs 326 pounds, which isn't bad but about average. He certainly has the potential to be gone by the time the Raiders pick at 227, but there is an even bigger chance he will be available around that time.

The Raiders need a guy who can come in and play serviceable snaps as a depth guy, and Coleman can do that.