Following the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, General Manager Dave Ziegler and Assistant General Manager Champ Kelly met with the media to recap Day 1 and discuss the selection of DE Tyree Wilson.
Read through for some of the best quotes from Thursday night's media availability.
On Tyree Wilson's 30 visit with the Silver and Black:
Ziegler: "When we're able to bring guys in for 30 visits, you have more of an unlimited time to be able to dig [in] on the player. ... We have a very, very strong understanding of where the player is medically, personally and I'd say just from a football intelligence standpoint. To be able to get him here and go through that process definitely made it a more comfortable situation for us."
On how Wilson fits in on the defensive line:
Ziegler: "His ability to disrupt. I think we've talked about it before, we want to be able to eventually develop over time here a front that's able to come in waves and you're able to keep guys fresh. I think that's important in this day and age because we have quarterbacks who can move around."
Kelly: We thought that he was extremely versatile. This is a guy who played all across the front. He can line up with Maxx [Crosby] and Chan [Chandler Jones], and this guy can still find a role to help us rush the quarterback."
On scouting Wilson and what traits drew the Raiders to him:
Kelly: "When [the scouts] come back and they tell me, 'We've got this guy with extremely long arms and amazing body who practices extremely hard day in and day out,' we're automatically excited when we hear that. And then you meet him in person, you watch the tape, every interaction that we had with him made us like him even more."
On how they see Wilson developing in the league:
Ziegler: "He has some room to grow and improve, especially as a pass rusher. He still has some areas where he can improve in terms of his counter moves, his ability to win at the combat zone. ... He can continue to utilize and get better with his hand placement and things like that in the run game, to use that length to be a more physical edge setter and more consistent guy."
On Wilson's draft outfit:
Kelly: "We thought he dressed for Vegas."
Ziegler: "He's ready. His wardrobe's ready."
On how the whole first round shook out:
Ziegler: "It pretty much fell the way that we thought it was going to fall. There's a couple surprises here and there, but for the most part, the names peeled off pretty much in the order that we had them on the board for a lot of our own evaluations."
On excitement for Days 2 and 3:
Kelly: "It's the culmination of all the work that these guys have been putting in, all of us have been putting in for nearly a year now. Get some rest tonight, come back in bright and early, reassess where we are and the players that are available, confident in our work that we've put in, we're going to be able to add some more players that will have a chance to be quality Raiders in the future."
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the 2023 NFL Draft.
Draft signage around Kansas City the day before the start of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Draft signage around Kansas City the day before the start of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Draft signage around Kansas City the day before the start of the 2023 NFL Draft.
A Las Vegas Raiders fan prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
A Las Vegas Raiders fan prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Raiderettes Maddie, Vicky, Audrey and Camryn prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Texas running back Bijan Robinson prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Oregon defensive back Christian Gonzalez prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks with NFL Network's Rich Eisen on stage prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Fans gather prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Fans at the stage prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell kicks off the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Singer Oleta Adams performs "Lift Every Voice and Sing" prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Draft prospects stand on stage prior to the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Josh McDaniels in the draft room on Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler in the draft room on Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Assistant General Manager Champ Kelly in the draft room on Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson after being selected 7th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson after being selected 7th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson after being selected 7th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson after being selected 7th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Signage stating the Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock during the 2023 NFL Draft.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks with active duty service members prior to kicking off the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Josh McDaniels in the draft room on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler in the draft room on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Raymond Chester announces Alabama defensive tackle Byron Young as the 70th overall pick for the Raiders during the 2023 NFL draft.
Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil performs during the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx and guitarist John 5 perform during the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Motley Crue performs during the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil performs during the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft.
