Getty Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders.
As the draft nears, the Las Vegas Raiders could be the beneficiaries of four quarterbacks possibly being selected before they make a pick. The team does need a young quarterback but the signing of Jimmy Garoppolo gives them the ability to push the issue down the road if the right one isn’t available to them. If four quarterbacks do get selected before the Raiders pick at No. 7, that would mean they would have the chance to land one of the three best defensive players in the draft.
When it comes to simply playing football Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is widely regarded as the best player in the entire class. However, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur recently reported that the Raiders would not select Carter if he was available due to character concerns. Head coach Josh McDaniels came out and denied that report. The team has now taken a further step to discredit that rumor. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders are hosting Carter for a visit.
Georgia DT Jalen Carter is visiting today with the Raiders.
Now, this isn’t to say that Tafur was wrong. The Raiders may have written off the idea of drafting Carter and are only bringing him so that they can appear interested in him for trade purposes. That will be impossible to know until the draft.
Would Raiders Draft Carter if He Fell?
If Carter somehow falls to seven, that would mean that the team drafting ahead of the Raiders had concerns about him. Teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks could all use a player like Carter and don’t have needs at quarterback. That would put the Raiders in a tough position.
Las Vegas has needed a dominant defensive tackle for a long time. Adding a player like Carter could completely change one of the worst defenses in the league. That said, the Raiders can’t ignore character concerns no matter how good the player is. Whether or not the team decides to draft him will largely depend on the research they’ve done on him. There’s no doubt they’ve turned over every stone to get a gauge on if they need to be concerned about adding him. If they feel comfortable with his character, then there’s no reason not to draft Carter.
Unlikely Carter Falls to 7
Regardless of how they feel about Carter’s character, having him fall to No. 7 is great for the Raiders. They’d either be able to add a generational defensive prospect or could trade down with a team that is comfortable adding the defensive tackle. However, this could all be a moot point. Despite the concerns, it’s difficult to see a scenario where Carter falls to No. 7.
NFL.com’s latest mock draft has him getting selected at No. 6 by the Detroit Lions while CBS Sports’ latest mock draft has him going No. 5 to the Seattle Seahawks. There’s a strong chance he gets selected by one of those teams when the draft starts up. That said, a recent mock draft from The Athletic has Carter falling to No. 10 and the Raiders pass on him. It doesn’t seem like anybody has a clear idea of where he’ll get drafted. He’s one of the most interesting players to watch in the draft.