ASU Football: Nesta Jade Silvera drafted by Raiders in seventh round

KANSAS CITY, Mo — With the No. 14 pick in the seventh round at No. 231 overall, the Las Vegas Raiders selected Arizona State defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera.

Silvera, the 6-foot-2-inch, 304-pound interior defenseman was the lone Sun Devil drafted in the 2023 NFL draft and will have a chance to compete for a roster spot with the Raiders having few proven names at the position.

Silvera played eight of 11 games in 2021 for the Miami Hurricanes before entering the transfer portal and signing with Arizona State. During his 2022 season, he played in 10 of 12 games for the Sun Devils and earned All-Pac-12 Conference honors. He recorded 56 tackles (4.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks and three pass breakups.

Despite Silvera being the only one being drafted, a handful of other Sun Devils found teams as undrafted free agents.

Among those who signed are running back Xazavian Valladay with the Houston Texans, linebacker Kyle Soelle with the Arizona Cardinals, cornerback Timarcus Davis with the Rams and defensive lineman Travez Moore with the Carolina Panthers.