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Supposedly the Oakland Raiders are considering Geno Smith with the third pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Then again, you could say the same of the Kansas City Chiefs at number one overall even with Alex Smith being fitted for an ugly red jersey. At this point in the evaluation process most every NFL franchise in need of a quarterback has to be considering Smith or Matt Barkley or Mike Glennon or Tyler Bray or even Collin Kelin for that matter. After all, it’s not like Reggie McKenzie was the only GM in Indianapolis watching Smith run the 40 or go through all the drills at the combine.

There have been plenty of times I’ve looked at food in the grocery store that I’ve “considered” eating. Then something more affordable and more appetizing catches my eye and I move on.

Whenever you see reports of a team falling in love with some prospect mere days after the combine ends you’ve got to take it with a grain of salt. Right about now posturing is the way of the walk. Bluffing is as much a part of the draft process as it is in poker.

What team is going to tip its hand this early?

The reality is even if the Raiders are considering selecting Smith with their first round pick a lot can happen between now and the start of the draft.

What if Manti Te’o runs a 4.24 40 on his pro day? What if Star Lotulelei gets one of those Tony Starks plutonium powered hearts? What if Andy Reid offers Reggie McKenzie his next three number one picks for Terrelle Pryor?

Point being, right about now every prospect is being considered by the Raiders given their many needs and their draft position. That doesn’t mean Geno Smith is their man. It could just mean he’s their man in March. Come April that might not be the case.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t you dare call West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith a scrambler. He only ran for 151 yards his senior year in Morgantown instead doing all of his damage from the pocket where he racked up more than 4,000 passing yards in 2012.

With that said Smith isn’t a stiff in the pocket that can’t escape pressure when protection breaks down. Today at the NFL’s scouting combine in Indianapolis Smith ran away from the QB competition with an official 40 time of 4.59.

Just behind Smith was Florida State’s E.J. Manuel who is sure to see his stock rise as he posted a 4.65 which is fast considering his size. Arizona’s Matt Scott was the only other QB to break the 4.7 barrier as she slid in at 4.69.

Of course speed doesn’t matter if you can’t throw the rock. Smith’s biggest knock is his lack of consistency and that did show today as he made some impressive throws but also missed the mark on ones you’d expect him to make in his sleep.

For the Raiders there is no indication they’re considering Smith with the third overall pick. In fact there isn’t a lot of momentum for Smith to be taken in the top 5…at least not yet. You never know how this thing will shake out as the evaluation process shifts into overdrive.

As mentioned Smith isn’t a running QB but given the new breed of NFL offense it doesn’t hurt to have a guy under center that can make plays with his feet. While Smith might be fast he’s nowhere near the runner Oakland already has in Terrelle Pryor.

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If nothing else 2012 showed us that you could put damn near every position on a dart board, make a blind throw and likely find a position of need for the Oakland Raiders. That’s one reason why it’s going to be hard to know which name Reggie McKenzie might send in on the first night of the NFL Draft in April.

One position the Raiders need to address in the near future is that of quarterback. Carson Palmer had a good season but not good enough to lift the Raiders to victory in some critical moments. Then there’s the fact that he’s getting up there in years which means his career is coming to a conclusion.

Terrelle Pryor did enough to earn the right to compete for the starting job next season but his future prospects of leading an NFL franchise remain cloudy at best.

That’s why there are some that see West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith as a possible target for the Raiders with the third overall pick.

Of course this draft is nothing like 2012 a class that produced plenty of young talent at the quarterback position as three rookies took their respective teams to the postseason. Basically most any QB drafted this year will be a project of sorts offering little help in the immediate future. At least that’s the consensus.

Therefore drafting Smith would be a selection made with the future in mind. None the less the early buzz is that Smith is a likely top 10 pick possibly going as high as #1 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. But that is all guesswork as the evaluation process is still in its infant stages.

Soon enough we’ll have a better idea which way the Raiders might be leaning as McKenzie is sure to schedule visits with some of the top prospects. If Smith’s name appears on Oakland’s watch list there will be more to discuss.