Getty Las Vegas Raiders GM Dave Ziegler.
The Las Vegas Raiders could go in many different directions with their first-round pick in the upcoming draft. The team has a litany of needs all over the roster. Quarterback may not be a pressing need following the Jimmy Garoppolo signing but that hasn’t stopped the team from looking at all of the top prospects.
It’s highly unlikely that Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud will be available to Las Vegas but they may be eyeing another prospect. The Raiders have taken several looks at Florida’s Anthony Richardson dating back to the college football season. He might not make it to No. 7 but the team could always trade up if they want him. When asked which team has been showing the most interest in Richardson, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero suggested that it’s the Raiders.
“I was at that Pro Day, and the Raiders spent a lot of time with him,” Pelissero said on the April 10 episode of the “Rich Eisen Show.” “They took him to dinner the night before, they brought him in for a visit as well. They’re done a lot of diligence on the quarterbacks, which is interesting because you look at Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract, he’s going to be the quarterback for two years. He’s going to be there [Garoppolo]. But with Richardson, you’re also getting a guy you probably don’t want to play Day 1.”
Are Raiders Legitimately Interested in Richardson?
Draft season is just as much about tricking opposing teams as it is about doing research on players. The Raiders certainly do benefit by teams thinking they’re going to take a quarterback if they have no intention to. If a team that likes Richardson believes Las Vegas will take him at seven, they could trade ahead of the Raiders to take the quarterback, which would mean one more top defensive player on the board.
It’s difficult to know for sure if the Raiders do actually want to draft Richardson. It’s possible they like him but don’t want to use the No. 7 pick on him. Las Vegas does make more sense for him than most teams. He’s not going to be ready to play in Week 1. He needs time to develop. The Raiders would provide that for him and he may not have to become a full-time starter for two seasons.
What Should Raiders Do if Richardson Is Available?
The Raiders are in an awkward position. They have of the worst defensive rosters in the NFL. The offense has the tools to be good but the defense could be a bottom-five unit without major improvements in the draft. Richardson doesn’t help the Raiders in 2023. That would be fine if the team was fully rebuilding but they can’t do that with star players like Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs on the roster.
It wouldn’t make them feel very good if they saw the Raiders pass up a potential immediate difference-maker for a player that may not be ready to play for two seasons. That said, the Raiders may not have another top-10 pick next year. If they do like Richardson and think he can be a franchise quarterback, they should absolutely select him at No. 7. Perhaps if Garoppolo wasn’t so injury-prone, they could pass but the team has to think about its future.