Getty Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders without a doubt need a quarterback of the future. The team can’t rely on Jimmy Garoppolo long-term due to his injury history and there aren’t any young quarterbacks on the roster with the potential to be a starter. Las Vegas will draft a young quarterback of the future at some point but it’s unclear when.
With the No. 7 overall pick, the Raiders could draft one early this year. However, many of the top options could be off the board by the time the team picks. If they don’t like any of their options at No. 7, they will likely target defense. Luckily, there is a scenario where the Raiders could get back into the first round and find a quarterback. In Chad Reuter’s mock draft for NFL.com, he projects Las Vegas to trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to land the 30th pick. With that pick, the Raiders would select Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.
“Jimmy Garoppolo is the team’s starting quarterback for the near term, but Hooker would be the team’s future at the position — and a solid backup if the oft-injured veteran misses time again,” Reuter wrote.
Is Hooker the Right QB for Raiders?
If Hooker was 22 instead of 25 and didn’t suffer a torn ACL last season, there could be talk of him being a top-10 pick. Despite those factors, he appears to be quickly moving up draft boards. The consensus has been that Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis are the third and fourth-best quarterbacks in the draft. According to NFL Media’s James Palmer, there are teams that think Hooker is the third-best quarterback in the draft.
“There are plenty of teams that have him … third on their list, right below those top two in Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud,” Palmer said on the April 7 episode of Steve Smith’s “Cut To It” podcast. “Now, there’s a pretty sizable gap between the top two and then Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. Hendon Hooker slides right in there. … There are plenty of teams that are like, ‘I like this guy much better than Anthony Richardson or Will Levis.'”
If what Palmer is saying is true, there’s a good chance Hooker won’t be available to the Raiders at No. 30. They may have to trade up even further. They could also trade back from No. 7 and take him in the middle of the first round. Hooker makes sense with the Raiders. He’s going to need to take time recovering from his injury. Las Vegas isn’t looking to have a rookie start with Garoppolo in place. They’d give him a year to get himself right and possibly have him ready to go in Year 2.
Hendon Hooker’s best NFL comp is _____.
Raiders Add Christian Gonzalez in Mock Draft
The Hooker trade wasn’t the only interesting move Reuter predicted for the Raiders. He has them taking Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 7 pick. Gonzalez is an exciting prospect. He’s got a big body for cornerback but plenty of speed to keep up with faster wide receivers. The Raiders have a need at the position and Gonzalez could instantly be a starter in 2023.
“Adding Gonzalez’s athleticism and ball skills instantly improves the Raiders’ moribund secondary,” Reuter wrote.