The Las Vegas Raiders are in the midst of an important offseason for the direction of the franchise.
After cleaning house in the days after their season ended, they landed on a general manager and head coach duo of John Spytek and Pete Carroll, both of whom have had a wealth of success in the NFL.
But one major question still looms for the Silver and Black: who will be their franchise quarterback?
In looking at Carroll's history at the position, it is a bit difficult to say what direction he will go. While he has leaned on experienced, returning quarterbacks before, he has also experimented -- and had success with -- new and young quarterbacks as well.
Looking at the draft, the Raiders may be out of range for a top quarterback at pick No. 6, but there are several solid options set to be available in the middle rounds. However, one quarterback in particular stands out as an option for Las Vegas because of his play style and connections to the team.
Jaxson Dart could be the answer at quarterback under Pete Carroll
Dart has been the starting quarterback at Ole Miss for the past three seasons, but he also spent his freshman year at the University of Southern California.
This is significant because Dart's college coach, Lane Kiffin, served as an assistant under Carroll at USC for six seasons in the early 2000s. Because the two coaches have worked extensively with each other, it would not be a shock to see Dart land with a coach like Carroll.
While the quarterback is not currently slated to be a first-round pick, many see him as the third-best at his position in the class and he is rising up multiple draft boards. He is far from a perfect prospect and surely has his weaknesses, but he has tons of potential too, and will be worth a pick on Day 2.
Let's not forget that Carroll's most successful quarterback -- the one he won a Super Bowl with -- was Russell Wilson, who he drafted in the third round. Wilson was not handed the job on day one, however; he had to earn it. Carroll kept Tarvaris Jackson on the roster and added a free agent in Matt Flynn to compete, but Wilson earned his spot immediately.
A similar situation could play out for Las Vegas this year if Dart is added in the middle rounds, as the team is sure to keep Aidan O'Connell, the incumbent, on the roster to start the year. Many also feel that the team will add a veteran quarterback in free agency.
If this plays out in a similar way, fans can rest assured that Carroll has been there before and can be trusted to make the right decision.
Although he is a bit bigger, Dart is a similar style quarterback to Russell Wilson. Dart is not a dynamic runner like Lamar Jackson or Justin Fields, but he can be effective getting out of the pocket and occasionally on designed runs like Wilson was at his peak.
Dart has drawn comparisons to players like Carson Wentz, Bo Nix and J.J. McCarthy, all of which could be characterized as part of the Wilson tree.
As a kid from Utah who played his college ball out east, surely Dart would like to return close to home as he plays professionally. Las Vegas is just a six-hour drive from where he grew up, so he could potentially play in front of his family more than he could on other teams.
Not to mention, he played his final year of high school football with current Raider Jackson Powers-Johnson at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah. The two have a good relationship under center, which could accelerate his learning curve.
The NFL Draft is still a good bit away, and much will happen in the interim. Players will have their Pro Days, attend the NFL Combine, and NFL teams will go through the free agency period.
Lots will change, surely, and the Raiders still do not know who their offensive coordinator is going to be. But Jaxson Dart is a name to keep an eye on for Las Vegas.