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The Las Vegas Raiders had an early interest in taking a quarterback with a top-10 draft pick this year but the Carolina Panthers’ trade for the No. 1 pick complicates things. They will take a quarterback with the first pick, which means there’s a good chance the Raiders won’t get the top quarterback on their board. They could still trade up to No. 3 to try and get Will Levis or Anthony Richardson but both of those prospects come with significant risk.
If Las Vegas would rather use their No. 7 pick on a defensive player, there’s an option later in the draft that could be appealing. Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker was looking destined to be a first-round pick this year before he tore his ACL during the college football season. He hasn’t been able to work out for teams but he has impressed them in meetings. There’s even a possibility that he’ll be able to sneak his way back into the first round. If not, the Raiders could be all over him in the second. In a recent mock draft, Chad Reuter of NFL.com pitched a trade with the Los Angeles Rams that would allow Las Vegas to move up to pick No. 36 to take Hooker.
“But, as you’ll see in Round 2 of this exercise, Las Vegas moves up to snag quarterback Hendon Hooker. The Raiders send their second-round pick and early-fourth round selection to the Rams for No. 36 overall (moving ahead of the Seahawks, who may have interest in Hooker) and a fifth-rounder in the deal.”
Jimmy Garoppolo is a good short-term option at quarterback but the Raiders need a plan for the future. Hooker would get a year to sit behind Garoppolo and make sure his body is fully healthy. If he wasn’t ready for the 2024 season, the veteran quarterback will still be under contract and could give Hooker more time.
Is Hooker 3rd-Best QB in Draft?
Hooker plans to be recovered in time for training camp so his injury shouldn’t be too concerning to teams. In fact, there could be teams that convince themselves that he’s worth a first-round pick. Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms recently released his quarterback rankings for the upcoming draft. He actually has Hooker third in the ranking ahead of Richardson and Levis.
Levis and Richardson are widely considered the third and fourth-best prospects but Simms isn’t buying into that narrative. It’s worth noting that Simms played under Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels. Perhaps the two have a similar thought process when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks. If the Raiders can wait until the second round to get Hooker, it may end up being a steal. That said, Las Vegas may need to even consider moving back into the first round or moving down from No. 7 if they know Hooker is the guy they want.
Raiders Select DE in Mock Draft
While quarterback is still a need despite the Jimmy Garoppolo signing, defense remains a big need for the team. Luckily for the Raiders, they have Maxx Crosby, who is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. The problem is that he has almost no help. The team signed Chandler Jones last offseason in hopes he’d be an elite running mate for Crosby but it appears that he’s passed his prime. This could lead the Raiders to use a valuable draft pick on a pass rusher.
Reuter has the team selecting Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 pick.
“The Raiders pass on Will Levis in favor of a powerful, long and agile pass rusher,” Reuter wrote.
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