Las Vegas Raiders: Bold predictions for the 2023 offseason

Las Vegas Raiders: Bold predictions for the 2023 offseason

Bold Prediction 2: The Raiders draft a Quarterback in Round 1.

After moving on from the Raiders’ franchise leader in passing yards and touchdowns Derek Carr, the pressure is on for Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler to find the quarterback of the future in Las Vegas.

Because of the Raiders’ obvious need at the position, they have been linked to several veteran quarterback options. To name a few, Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Garrapolo have been floated as possible successors to Carr.

While the signing of a veteran quarterback is certainly not out of the question, McDaniels and Ziegler will decide to go the route of drafting a quarterback with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

There are a couple of key reasons for this. First, the Raiders’ regime will significantly extend their timeline by drafting a rookie. With a first-year signal caller at the helm, the expectations will be far lower for the 2023 season than if they decided to, say, trade assets to acquire Aaron Rodgers.

Additionally, as Las Vegas rebuilds its defense and possesses elite offensive talent, the chances of obtaining such a high draft pick in the near future are rather slim. Taking advantage of this fact and solidifying their QB of the future is the best move possible.

With the 7th (or higher if they trade up) overall pick in this year’s draft, the Raiders will select one of the “Big 4” quarterbacks in Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson.