The Raiders traded a third-round pick for Geno Smith and signed him to a two-year extension, but the expectation among just about everyone covering the team is that they are still going to take a quarterback on day 1 or 2 of the draft.
Most likely, Tom Brady and company aren’t considering a quarterback with the no. 6 pick in the draft, but according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, there are a lot of people expecting the Raiders to make a move for a quarterback soon after.
“The Raiders have the No. 6 pick in the draft, and are believed by executives and agents around the league to be targeting a quarterback as early as Round 2,” Tafur reported on Thursday.
Tafur then listed three non-quarterbacks he could see the Raiders drafting in round one before throwing out the QB every mock draft should be connecting to the team in the middle rounds.
“The Raiders could also just go with the bold best-player-available strategy in Round 2 like they are expected to use in Round 1, when there is a good chance they end up with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham or LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell — three other members of the Topgolf crew (the fourth was Michigan linebacker Josaiah Stewart but he is projected to go in the fourth round),” Tafur wrote.
“If they go for that approach on Day 2, there might be a familiar face waiting for them in the fourth round. That’s where Brugler has the Raiders taking Howard, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound dual-threat Ohio State QB with whom new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly won a national title last season.”
If the Raiders decide to take a quarterback before round 4, it sounds like Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is a player that teams are growing comfortable with.
NFL insider Tony Pauline is one a few media personalities that have been linking Ewers to Las Vegas in recent weeks.
I’ve known for a while that the Raiders really like Ewers, as do the New Orleans Saints,” Pauline reported last week. “He’ll be great value on Day 2.”
For what it’s worth, Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter talked this week about a few of the reasons teams have become intrigued by Ewers…
