Why sticking with Derek Carr will be more beneficial for the Oakland Raiders

There has been a lot of speculation developing around the NFL that Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock could potentially draft a QB. But, do they really need to do so?

During the evaluation process in the offseason, many narratives are written. Although, not everything you hear this time of year is whats actually occurring. In fact, a lot of the reports are a smoke screen to cover up a teams game plan later down the road.

One storyline that’s been surfacing the NFL world is that Jon Gruden is going to find Derek Carr‘s replacement. Gruden has reportedly hosted Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins for draft visits over the last month. Despite having the two quarterback prospects in for a visit, that doesn’t necessarily mean Carr is on his way out.

It’s clear across the league that Gruden is a quarterback junkie, but just because he’s done his due diligence in evaluating a couple of prospects, doesn’t mean that player is Gruden’s guy. Plus, the Raiders roster has more issues to worry about than the quarterback.

The Raiders defense could use several impact players on every level of the defense. Especially on the defensive line, where they finished last season with a league low 13 sacks. Not to mention, they didn’t bring in any of the top defensive ends during free agency. That’s clearly their top position of need to addresses in the draft.

Carr shouldn’t be the worry of the Raiders front office, when they have holes in so many other places. After an aggressive offseason in adding multiple wide receivers and a superior offensive tackle, Carr’s best season yet might just be in front of him. Bringing in Antonio Brown will give Carr the most dynamic weapon he’s ever played with.

It’s also important to not forgot what Carr has accomplished during his time in the NFL thus far. In his first five season, he’s thrown for 18,739-yards, 122 touchdowns, and 54 interceptions. He also completed passes at the highest rate of his career in his first season with Gruden, with a 68.9% completion percentage.

By rolling with Carr and passing on Murray and Haskins, it will allow the Raiders to draft pieces to complement Carr on the offense or upgrade the defensive unit. The Raiders should focus their draft on positions such as DE, DT, OG, TE, S.

Having three picks on day one of the draft, they can definitely come away with three significant playmakers. They are slotted in to make their selections at No.4, No.24 and No. 27 on Thursday’s draft night at 8p.m (ET).