Former Alabama defensive lineman Byron Young works in position drills at Alabama's NFL pro day, Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Raiders revamp for 2023
Alabama entered a critical stretch last November with back-to-back road games at teams ranked as their toughest competition in the West Division — LSU and Ole Miss.
The Crimson Tide ended up losing the first of those two showdowns to spoil their SEC and College Football Playoff title hopes, but it wasn’t because of any lack of production on Byron Young’s part. The 6-foot-3, 292-pound defensive tackle had quite possibly his best game in four years as a contributor at Alabama with five tackles including for 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in that 32-31 loss to LSU.
Then Young topped it the next week with 11 tackles including two tackles for loss and two sacks in a 30-24 victory at Ole Miss.
“At Alabama, we won a lot of games, and that didn’t really give me the opportunity to showcase all the time what I could do one-on-one,” Young said Friday night. “So, I think those last few games, I got the opportunity, and I really took advantage of it.”
Young’s late-season tear helped build his profile as a professional prospect, an ascent that culminated Friday night when the Raiders selected him with the 70th overall pick in the third round of the NFL Draft.
He joined Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, taken 38th overall in the second round, and Cincinnati slot receiver Tre Tucker, taken 100th overall in the third round, as part of the Raiders’ haul in the second night of the draft. They drafted Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson in Thursday night’s opening round.
If there’s any common link between the three newest Raiders who arrived to the roster Friday, it’s that they all played — and mostly excelled — in big games throughout their college career. Young was part of a CFP national championship-winning team in 2020 and a runner-up in 2021.
Those teams defeated Mayer’s Fighting Irish and Tucker’s Bearcats in their national semifinal games, respectively.
“Seeing guys perform at a high level in some of the bigger moments they get to experience at the college level definitely has an impact,” Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler said in a news conference after the conclusion of the third round.
Ziegler grinned and failed to hide his excitement regarding all of the incoming Raiders, but especially Mayer. Las Vegas rated the 6-foot-4, 265-pound pass-catcher as the top tight end and one of the 15 best players in the draft.
Ziegler said he tried to move into the back end of the first round on Thursday to nab Mayer but ultimately couldn’t secure a deal. The Raiders were able to reach an agreement with the Indianapolis Colts early in Friday’s draft to move up three spots to 35th overall, sacrificing a fifth-round pick, and get Mayer.
The tight end did not express any disappointment with his slip out of the first round, where he was widely mocked to land.
“This whole process has been awesome because I’ve got really good family and friends that have been by my side through this whole thing,” Mayer said. “Obviously, we didn’t really know what was going to happen (Thursday), but I’m happy where I landed.”
Mayer will be the rare Raider rookie who’s already played at Allegiant Stadium as Notre Dame played a long-awaited “Shamrock Series” game there last October against BYU.
He was the best player on the field that night, hauling in a career-high 11 catches for a season-high 118 yards and a season-high two touchdowns as Notre Dame held on for a 28-20 victory.
“The first thing I realized is how immaculate the stadium is,” Mayer said. “Being able to play home games there is going to be a very, very fun thing to do. The city, the fans, the vibes surrounding the city, it was fantastic...I’m happy to make it my new home, that’s for sure.”
Cincinnati wide receiver Tre Tucker runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Turner was the biggest surprise to wind up with the Raiders on Thursday night considering he went No. 100 overall, or 122 slots ahead of where ESPN ranked him. His 5-foot-9, 182-pound frame may have scared some suitors off, but not the Raiders.
Tucker was a key member of a Cincinnati squad that rose to the top of the college football world and became the first non-power conference team to reach the College Football Playoff in 2022 as a kick-returner and speedy offensive option. Ziegler envisions using Tucker similarly with the Raiders, saying he can provide “a gadget element” to the offense.
The general manager loved diving into Tucker’s film, perhaps in part because it was much like Young’s and Mayer’s. All three regularly rose to the occasion during their college football careers, and now will be expected to do the same in the NFL.
“I'm going to come in, do what they ask me to do, work my hardest, and that's really it,” Mayer said. “That's what I do. That's what I did when I went to Notre Dame, and that's what I'm going to do when we start this up.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or
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