Getty Former Florida QB Anthony Richardson.
The Las Vegas Raiders added a solid quarterback this offseason in Jimmy Garoppolo but he doesn’t appear to be part of the bigger picture. He’ll likely be a stopgap option while the team tries to figure out what they want to do long-term. With the Raiders playing in a loaded AFC West, they have to have to make sure they find the right quarterback to go toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.
Las Vegas is clearly interested in adding a quarterback in this draft based on the report from The Atheltic that they reached out to the Chicago Bears about trading for the No. 1 pick before they sent it to the Carolina Panthers. The Raiders continue to take close looks at the top quarterbacks and recently had a meeting with former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. General manager Dave Ziegler was at his Pro Day and the two sides had dinner the night before.
Richardson had a chance to talk about the dinner and what he spoke to the Raiders about.
“The dinner was great, talking to the guys, getting to know them and them getting to know me as a person and as a player,” Richardson told NFL Network. “Just trying to figure out the expectations in case they were to draft me. What they expect from me as a rookie and what they’re going to expect from me in the building. Just trying to get familiarized with that stuff and just live on.”
“Lord knows what’s going to happen April 27th. I’m just ready to get there and just live in the moment.”
Florida QB Anthony Richardson joined @SteveSmithSr89 and me after his pro day show in Gainesville:
Richardson Dazzled at Pro Day
Richardson may be the biggest riser in the entire draft. He was originally thought to be a late first-round pick or early second-round. It’s now looking like he could be a top-five pick and it’s hard to imagine him falling out of the top 10. The hype around him only grows stronger as the draft gets closer.
At his Pro Day, Richardson put on a show. He impressed viewers with his effortless 50-yard toss.
Anthony Richardson tosses the ball over 50 yards with just a FLICK of his wrist 😳
The Gators QB put on a SHOW today at Florida’s Pro Day.
He also hit the roof of the practice facility on a pass by accident.
Anthony Richardson hit the damn roof at Florida’s pro day
Perhaps his most impressive throw was his last one where he threw a 74-yard bomb to his wide receiver.
And this is how Anthony Richardson closed his pro day throwing session. He’ll join us shortly on NFL+
Richardson might be the most athletically gifted quarterback in the NFL the second he’s drafted. The problem is that he needs to go to a team that can turn those gifts into skills as a passer.
Raiders May Not Have Chance to Draft Richardson
The Raiders appear to really like Richardson but landing him isn’t so simple. The team doesn’t pick until No. 7 and there are at least three teams ahead of them that need a quarterback. There are also plenty of spots for other quarterback-needy teams to jump ahead of the Raiders as the Panthers did.
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, there’s talk of the Seattle Seahawks moving up to No. 3 to select a quarterback. That would essentially take the Raiders out of the running for drafting a quarterback in the first round:
The buzz is that the Seahawks will jump up from No. 5 to No. 3 to grab either Richardson or Levis, as Stroud and Young are expected to go 1-2. The Cardinals can move down to No, 5 and still get the top defensive player, as the Colts are expected to also draft a QB at No. 4.
Quarterbacks have never gone with the first four picks in the history of the NFL.