The Las Vegas Raiders brought in Jimmy Garoppolo on a three-year deal this offseason, and he will replace Derek Carr as the team's starting quarterback. It was a long run for Carr as the signal-caller for the Raiders, as he stepped in as a rookie back in 2014, and has been the starter ever since.
Now, Las Vegas will turn to Jimmy G in 2023, but what is the plan for the future, as Garoppolo is not the long-term answer at the position. The long-term answer could be Anthony Richardson, a terrific quarterback prospect out of the University of Florida, who many believe will be selected within the first five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas holds the No. 7 overall pick this April, so in order to get Richardson, they are going to have to figure out a way to move up. Arizona holds the No. 3 overall pick and does not need a quarterback, while Detroit and Seattle are two other teams picking before them that could be interested in a trade with the Raiders.
Richardson is set to visit six teams prior to the 2023 NFL Draft according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, but only two of them pick before Las Vegas, Carolina at No. 1 overall, and Indianapolis at No. 4. The other teams are the Atlanta Falcons, who pick at No. 8, the Tennessee Titans at No. 11, and the Baltimore Ravens, who appear ready to move on from Lamar Jackson this offseason.
There is no doubt that Richardson has the arm talent to be an ezcellent player at the NFL level, and by all accounts, he had a terrific showing at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. While we have seen Will Levis tumble a bit this draft season, it has been the opposite for AR15, with some mock drafts even have him going at No. 1 or No. 2 overall.
Garoppolo is a solid NFL quarterback, and when healthy, he can win you a lot of football games. However, the next long-term quarterback has to come to the franchise in either 2023 or 2024 if they are to build stability at the position, and Richardson could be that man for the Silver and Black.