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Acquiring Geno Smith in trade with the Seahawks has led many to remove the quarterback position from their list of needs for the Raiders. And while, yes, it may not be a "need" for the Raiders anymore, it doesn't mean they won't take a quarterback. It simply removes it from the category of an absolute must. But you can bet the Raiders will still be looking for a quarterback.
In fact, it seems to me it simply evens the playing field with other positions. Which is to say, they don't need to act in desperation. But the need for competition, depth, and a potential long term prospect is still there. And when speaking of the most valuable position in football, it's never a bad idea to add one if given the chance.
For the Raiders purposes, there are five quarterbacks in this draft who jump out as potential targets depending on whether they are available when the Raiders pick. Let's take a look
As always happens in the lead-up to the draft, opinions on the draft's top quarterbacks shift. But it may be important to remember two things -- smokescreens are a real thing and this is the quarterback position we're talking about. Take Bo Nix last year for instance. And, no, I'm not talking about hindsight based on how to performed as a rookie. What I'm talking about is how in the lead-up to the draft, he was being talked about as possibly dropping into day two. He went 12th overall as the sixth QB off the board. That is to say QB is really important. And no matter where they are ranked, if a team needs one, they will "reach" for one.
This particular case would be more akin to what happened last year with Michael Penix and the Falcons. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins for big money, leading many to think the Falcons were good at QB and would take the mythical BPA instead. They took Penix at eight overall anyway, shocking a lot of people. Many of whom -- myself included -- recoiled because it destroyed the possibility of what the Raiders probably hoped was a QB falling to them at 13.
All this is to say I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the Raiders take Sanders at six. And if they were to manage a trade down, and Sanders was still there, it would only seem to raise the odds of such a move. The pain of missing out on a potential future starter is just too great not to seriously consider it.
Dart is probably the most intriguing QB in this draft. He has actually been rising on mock draft boards of late, with some thinking he could go in the first round. If he doesn't, the Raiders could have a shot at a QB with all the tools who could range from competing for starting snaps right away to developing behind Geno Smith to refine his skills for future years.
He has the kind of skillset a lot of NFL teams would love to take a chance on. Making him an ideal candidate for a team in the lower portion of the first round who is either looking for a QB right now or to find their next QB. The Raiders would be the latter, but they may need to move around the draft board some in order to have a shot at Dart.
Speaking of guys with all the tools. Chip Kelly's offense asks quarterbacks to have some mobility and Milroe is one of the most mobile QB's in college football history. He had 12 rushing touchdowns of 10 yards or more last season, which is the most in college football in 25 years. And he's got one of the most live arms as well. Which means there's plenty of raw physical talent should a team wish to develop him.
What he most needs is work on his finesse game and accuracy. The question is if the Raiders -- mainly Tom Brady -- see signs that there is something there to work with. Equally, the question is if another team will see enough to jump at the chance to get Milroe before he can make it to the Raiders. There is buzz Milroe could sneak into the bottom of the first round, which obviously would put him out of reach of the Raiders at 37.
Perhaps the QB in this draft process in whom the Raiders have shown the most interest. He has a quirky throwing motion, but it leads to a quick release and more often than not, gets the job done. The results over the past couple seasons at Texas are hard to argue. His projection is tough because round three seems too early, but it seems possible some team may not let him reach day three.
We come to the guy Chip Kelly knows very well. Who helped run his offense to a meteoric rise to streak to the National Championship this past season. He's 6-4, 236, has the mobility to work in Kelly's system and completed 73% of his passes, upping that to 75% in the College Football Playoffs. Though much of that was due to the offense featuring a lot of quick throws.
While he shows an upward climb in his college career, it was over five years, and he's 23 years old so he is not viewed as a high-ceiling or developmental type guy. Which would seem to be what the Raiders need for purposes of sitting behind Geno Smith for the time being. in the meantime, where Howard seems to lack in studying tape of opponents, you hope Tom Brady could give him an assist. Not to mention helping him get leaner, which would also figure to help his game.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders NFL draft: 5 best quarterback fits for Las Vegas in upcoming class
Continue reading...
In fact, it seems to me it simply evens the playing field with other positions. Which is to say, they don't need to act in desperation. But the need for competition, depth, and a potential long term prospect is still there. And when speaking of the most valuable position in football, it's never a bad idea to add one if given the chance.
For the Raiders purposes, there are five quarterbacks in this draft who jump out as potential targets depending on whether they are available when the Raiders pick. Let's take a look
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado -- Round 1
As always happens in the lead-up to the draft, opinions on the draft's top quarterbacks shift. But it may be important to remember two things -- smokescreens are a real thing and this is the quarterback position we're talking about. Take Bo Nix last year for instance. And, no, I'm not talking about hindsight based on how to performed as a rookie. What I'm talking about is how in the lead-up to the draft, he was being talked about as possibly dropping into day two. He went 12th overall as the sixth QB off the board. That is to say QB is really important. And no matter where they are ranked, if a team needs one, they will "reach" for one.
This particular case would be more akin to what happened last year with Michael Penix and the Falcons. The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins for big money, leading many to think the Falcons were good at QB and would take the mythical BPA instead. They took Penix at eight overall anyway, shocking a lot of people. Many of whom -- myself included -- recoiled because it destroyed the possibility of what the Raiders probably hoped was a QB falling to them at 13.
All this is to say I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the Raiders take Sanders at six. And if they were to manage a trade down, and Sanders was still there, it would only seem to raise the odds of such a move. The pain of missing out on a potential future starter is just too great not to seriously consider it.
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss -- Round 1-2
Dart is probably the most intriguing QB in this draft. He has actually been rising on mock draft boards of late, with some thinking he could go in the first round. If he doesn't, the Raiders could have a shot at a QB with all the tools who could range from competing for starting snaps right away to developing behind Geno Smith to refine his skills for future years.
He has the kind of skillset a lot of NFL teams would love to take a chance on. Making him an ideal candidate for a team in the lower portion of the first round who is either looking for a QB right now or to find their next QB. The Raiders would be the latter, but they may need to move around the draft board some in order to have a shot at Dart.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama -- Round 2
Speaking of guys with all the tools. Chip Kelly's offense asks quarterbacks to have some mobility and Milroe is one of the most mobile QB's in college football history. He had 12 rushing touchdowns of 10 yards or more last season, which is the most in college football in 25 years. And he's got one of the most live arms as well. Which means there's plenty of raw physical talent should a team wish to develop him.
What he most needs is work on his finesse game and accuracy. The question is if the Raiders -- mainly Tom Brady -- see signs that there is something there to work with. Equally, the question is if another team will see enough to jump at the chance to get Milroe before he can make it to the Raiders. There is buzz Milroe could sneak into the bottom of the first round, which obviously would put him out of reach of the Raiders at 37.
Quinn Ewers, Texas -- Round 3-4
Perhaps the QB in this draft process in whom the Raiders have shown the most interest. He has a quirky throwing motion, but it leads to a quick release and more often than not, gets the job done. The results over the past couple seasons at Texas are hard to argue. His projection is tough because round three seems too early, but it seems possible some team may not let him reach day three.
Will Howard, Ohio State -- Round 4
We come to the guy Chip Kelly knows very well. Who helped run his offense to a meteoric rise to streak to the National Championship this past season. He's 6-4, 236, has the mobility to work in Kelly's system and completed 73% of his passes, upping that to 75% in the College Football Playoffs. Though much of that was due to the offense featuring a lot of quick throws.
While he shows an upward climb in his college career, it was over five years, and he's 23 years old so he is not viewed as a high-ceiling or developmental type guy. Which would seem to be what the Raiders need for purposes of sitting behind Geno Smith for the time being. in the meantime, where Howard seems to lack in studying tape of opponents, you hope Tom Brady could give him an assist. Not to mention helping him get leaner, which would also figure to help his game.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders NFL draft: 5 best quarterback fits for Las Vegas in upcoming class
Continue reading...
