Las Vegas Raiders should pass on a quarterback in the first round

The Las Vegas Raiders have needs to address in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and quarterback certainly is not one of them.

With the 2020 NFL Draft kicking off on Thursday, the Las Vegas Raiders are in prime position to dominate the first round. Last year, they held three first round picks, and ended up staying in all three slots, bringing in edge rusher Clelin Ferrell, running back Josh Jacobs, and safety Johnathan Abram.

Ferrell was moved out of position early on, and dealt with a sickness, but by the end of the season, he looked like a player well worth his first round grade. Jacobs should have won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Abram looked good, albeit during only the season opening win against Denver.

As they enter 2020, there are still major needs on this roster on both sides of the ball, including at wide receiver on offense, and cornerback on defense. Las Vegas also needs to add a bit to the defensive line, and get some depth at linebacker, while Jacobs could use another solid back behind him.

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All of this equates to them not being in the market to draft a quarterback in the first round, but if you look around at recent mock drafts, people still have the team going after a Jordan Love from Utah State, or possibly trying to move up and get Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Not only does this not make sense, but it should be avoided, as this team is ready to win now.

Quarterback Derek Carr is coming off back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons, and in 2019, he finished second behind Drew Brees in completion percentage. In addition, he did all of this without a true WR1, as Antonio Brown was released prior to Week 1, and Tyrell Williams had to step into that role.

Don’t get me wrong, Williams played very well when healthy, but he is the perfect WR2 at the NFL level. Las Vegas should focus one of their first round picks on the wide receiver group, as it is absolutely loaded this season, and sitting at pick No. 12, they could get their pick of the talent.

The offensive line in front of Carr is loaded, and Jacobs and tight end Darren Waller are two of the best at their positions in the NFL. The Raiders have also done a nice job building up the defense in free agency this offseason, adding talent at linebacker, and defensive tackle, while getting deeper at the safety position.

While the noise around this team for the past few years has been to replace Carr, this is not the draft to do so in the first round, especially after bringing in Marcus Mariota as his backup. If Carr falters in 2020, then they should certainly look to the draft for the future, but right now, the quarterback room is solid entering Thursday.

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This will be a huge year for Carr, there is no doubt about that, but the Raiders have to avoid drafting a first round quarterback on Thursday. If they were holding a higher pick, then maybe, but with how this roster is built, and the coaching staff that is in place, Carr should be the guy in Week 1.

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