Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels.
All eyes are on the Las Vegas Raiders and what they might do at quarterback. As fate would have it, there will be a number of quarterbacks available in free agency with ties to head coach Josh McDaniels. The most obvious choices would be either Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo.
However, neither are long-term options for the Raiders. Brady will be 46 next season and Garoppolo has only been able to play a full season just once in his career. If the Raiders go with either, they would be wise to have a young quarterback waiting in the wings. That could lead them to use their first-round pick on a quarterback. Having a proven veteran on the roster would allow the Raiders to take a risk on a high-upside prospect. Jordan Reid of ESPN is predicting the team to use their top-10 draft pick to select Kentucky quarterback Will Levis:
It seems the Derek Carr era is over in Las Vegas, so coach Josh McDaniels will be searching for a new signal-caller. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raiders look toward the veteran market for their solution, considering there will be a good deal of pressure in the building to win in 2023, but Levis’ excellent physical traits could prove too intriguing to pass up. At 6-3 and 232 pounds, he has a huge arm and some power-rushing ability on QB keepers, but his turnover woes and poor decision making have been constant issues (23 interceptions over the past two seasons).
Levis Has Been Compared to Josh Allen
Levis is not the most polished quarterback in this year’s draft. Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud will likely go ahead of him but are unlikely to be available when the Raiders select. Stroud and Young are also likely ready to play in Week 1 so Las Vegas wouldn’t need a veteran like Brady or Garoppolo. Drafting Levis would be a big gamble but there’s no doubt he has superstar potential.
Levis has been compared to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who was also raw when he came into the NFL. Allen is now one of the top-five quarterbacks in the league. For his part, Levis believes that he’s most similar to Allen.
“I think his game is pretty similar to mine,” Levis said of Allen on “It’s Just Football.”
Levis isn’t the only one who thinks he’s comparable to Allen. According to ESPN’s Todd McShay, there are high-level people around the NFL who also see the similarities.
“I heard two interesting comps for Kentucky’s Levis last week from a pair of NFL GMs,” McShay wrote. “The first — based heavily on traits — was to Josh Allen. Elite arm strength, a strong build, mobility and an ultra-competitive nature jumped out here. But the exec also noted that Levis doesn’t have Allen’s pocket awareness and that his mobility will be neutralized as a scrambler if he doesn’t start to feel the pass rush better.”
However, the other quarterback Levis has been compared to is Carson Wentz, which would be a less exciting comparison for the Raiders.
Draft a QB or Upgrade the Defense?
If the Raiders do sign Brady, there might be pressure to use their first-round pick on a player who can make an impact next season. It’s no secret that there are massive needs all over the defense. Landing a defensive tackle or cornerback with a top-10 pick would go a long way in helping the defense.
That said, quarterback is the most important position. Even if Brady is signed and plays out of his mind, it’s hard to imagine the Raiders will get more than two years out of him. The team needs to ensure that they have a replacement ready to go. They could look to find one later in the draft but players with Levis’ ability don’t come around often. The Raiders will have some tough decisions to make this offseason.