First-round pick: No. 6 overall
Armed with nearly $100 million in cap space, the Raiders could look vastly different come draft time. Only the Patriots have more money to spend this offseason, per Over The Cap. It will be surprising if new GM John Spytek doesn’t take aggressive measures to upgrade the roster in free agency.
Las Vegas also has all of its original draft picks, including No. 6 overall, plus a third-round pick acquired from the Jets in the Davante Adams deal. The team is projected to receive two compensatory picks, as well.
There are roster holes in the trenches and in the secondary, and the Raiders must add more offensive firepower. But the need at quarterback looms largest. Including restricted free agent Desmond Ridder, Las Vegas currently has three QBs with 17-plus NFL starts, but do Pete Carroll and the new staff love any of them? It’s not hard to connect the quarterback dots through the draft here.
The Raiders have the means to move up from No. 6 if the opportunity presents itself. They could even take a non-QB up high and then swing into the back end of Round 1 if they deem a remaining quarterback is worth selecting there. (Maybe a sliding Shedeur Sanders? Jaxson Dart?)
Some have made the connection between new Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and his quarterback at Ohio State last season, Will Howard, but Howard doesn’t appear to be a Round 1 candidate yet. So, it’s entirely possible Las Vegas uses non-first-round means to address the position. After all, didn’t Carroll hand the keys over to third-round rookie Russell Wilson once? That decision turned out pretty well. But I view this situation a little differently, as Carroll was in Year 3 of the Seattle rebuild when Russ came aboard. Unless Vegas makes a major veteran-QB acquisition this offseason, using a first-round pick on a passer feels like it’s absolutely in play.
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