Raiders 2023 7-round mock draft: Las Vegas needs met in draft haul
Raiders 2023 7-round mock draft: Las Vegas needs met in draft haul
818. . QB. Huskies . Michael Penix Jr.. 110. player
The Raiders miss out on the top-tier QBs in this draft due to their recent win streak but there is still some intriguing talent available in the later rounds. That includes University of Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. who is in the midst of a great campaign with the Huskies.
Penix is a slightly older prospect as he is wrapping up his fifth year in college after 4 years with Indiana but that can be seen as a positive because of his vast experience. We have seen some high picks like Mitch Trubisky and Zach Wilson struggle after not having much game time at the college level. He projects well as a dual-threat QB and has good size at 6-3, 214lbs so his build should not be a concern like it is for Bryce Young.
The Huskies QB is climbing up draft boards this season as he has thrown for nearly 4500 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions while leading his team to a 10-2 record and a top 10 ranking. The concerns around him are around a long injury history involving two torn ACLs and two other season-ending injuries which could see teams shy away from taking him early on.
This gives the Raiders a chance to snag him with the 110th overall pick and develop him as a long-term replacement for Derek Carr as well as a solid backup that offers a different dimension to his game. Taking a QB this late allows the Raiders to develop him without threatening the role of Carr as the unquestioned franchise QB.