With the 12th pick in the NFL draft, the Raiders select …

By Adam Hill

Las Vegas Review-Journal

2 years ago

TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) celebrates a catch for a first down in the second half o ... — TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) celebrates a catch for a first down in the second half of the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against Kansas State, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (9) drops into coverage against Michigan State during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski blocks in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

The Raiders’ three-game winning streak has optimism soaring and put the glimmer of hope of a postseason appearance back on the radar.

It has also dropped the Raiders out of the top 10 selections for the 2023 draft if the season ended today.

Before the streak, the Raiders were sitting at No. 2 in that projection. Now they would pick 12th, and there is reason to believe that pick will get less and less valuable with several winnable games ahead on the docket.

That would be just fine with the organization, but it also changes the range of talent the Raiders can expect to acquire through the draft.

Offensive and defensive line, the secondary and possibly a big, physical wideout could be high on the list of needs that could be filled in that area of the first round.

Should general manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels want to target a quarterback of the future, the top prospects almost certainly would be out of play.

Of course, the draft order will change significantly in the next few weeks with so many teams grouped together in the standings.

Each week, we will monitor how some of the players projected to go near where the Raiders pick are performing in college.

Potential Raiders draft targets:

Quentin Johnston, wide receiver, Texas Christian

Johnston returned from an ankle injury to catch four passes for 139 yards in the Big 12 championship game loss to Kansas State. He will get at least one more shot as a collegian, as the Horned Frogs advanced to the College Football Playoffs. Johnston projects as a nice complement to Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. He has a big body and tremendous skills as a runner after the catch.

Other potential WR targets: Jordan Addison, Southern California; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State.

Peter Skoronski, offensive tackle, Northwestern

He just wrapped up one of the highest-graded seasons of any pass blocker since Pro Football Focus began scoring college players nearly a decade ago. While the Raiders’ offensive line has improved, Skoronski could be a long-term anchor on the right side to serve as a bookend for Kolton Miller.

Other potential OT targets: Paris Johnson, Ohio State; Broderick Jones, Georgia.

Joey Porter Jr., cornerback, Penn State

Porter, who formally declared for the draft last week, has NFL pedigree as the son of the former Pro Bowl linebacker. After taking a huge leap between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, he continued his progression and defended 11 passes this season while anchoring a unit that allowed less than 5.9 yards per pass attempt.

Other potential CB targets: Cam Smith, South Carolina; Christian Gonzalez, Oregon.

If the season ended today, here’s the order for the first 15 picks:

1. Texans (1-10-1)

2. Bears (3-10)

3. Seahawks (From Broncos, 3-9)

4. Lions (From Rams, 3-9)

5. Eagles (From Saints, 4-9)

6. Panthers (4-8)

7. Jaguars (4-8)

8. Cardinals (4-8)

9. Colts (4-8-1)

10. Falcons (5-8)

11. Packers (5-8)

12. Raiders (5-7)

13. Texans (From Browns, 5-7)

14. Steelers (5-7)

15. Lions (5-7)

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.