Las Vegas Raiders Mock Draft Roundup 6.0

Carter lands with the Raiders in a veteran-laden locker room with guys like Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby to provide any guidance he may need early in his career.

The Richardson hype train is hitting full steam, plowing through Indianapolis on Saturday. Looking at combine results since 2006, he posted the best quarterback vertical (40.5 inches) and broad jump (10-foot-9), and then rolled out a scorching 4.43-second 40, which tied for the fourth-fastest time at the position over that span. Richardson capped off his big day by showcasing his huge arm in the throwing portions of the afternoon.

His physical traits are exciting, and if coach Josh McDaniels can work with him on his footwork and accuracy, the sky's the ceiling. On one hand, Richardson threw 17 touchdown passes -- including three of 40-plus air yards -- and rushed for an FBS QB-high 6.4 yards per carry in 2022. On the other, he completed 54.7% of his throws over 13 career starts. The upside comes with risk, and I do think he might need more time to develop before taking over as an NFL starter. But if the 6-4, 244-pound signal-caller can put it all together, sign me up for big-time throws to Davante Adams and highlight-reel runs on Sundays in Vegas.

The Raiders can either sit tight and hope they get their guy at No. 7 ... or look to aggressively move up and target the quarterback they want. In this exercise, Josh McDaniels and Co. jump into Arizona's draft slot to snag Stroud, who put on the best pure throwing display in Indy.

If this scenario plays out, it would be the first time in the Super Bowl era that four quarterbacks are drafted in the top seven picks.

The Raiders have been very open about their desire to draft a young quarterback, and Levis is a potential fit. The Kentucky passer has outstanding physical traits, smarts and toughness, which all would be appealing to head coach Josh McDaniels.

The man with the self-described "cannon" attached to his right shoulder showed it off Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium ... and could put it to excellent use throwing to WRs Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow and TE Darren Waller. And even if they were to win the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, that wouldn't necessarily preclude the Silver and Black from taking Levis — though that would also presume the four-time MVP would cost something less than the No. 7 pick. "The goal eventually is to try to have a young player here, that's going to be a Raider for a long time," coach Josh McDaniels said last week. Fairly or not — OK, not — the strong-armed, athletic, tough, 6-3, 229-pounder with experience in a pro-style offense is going to draw comparisons to the likes of Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen. But Levis needs to improve his consistency and footwork while recovering from the physical beating he endured in 2022.

Josh McDaniels gets a player in Bryce Young who will fit what he wants to do on this offense. They will tailor the offense to fit Young's vast skill set. The Raiders move from No. 7 to No. 3 and give up two Day 2 picks.

The Las Vegas Raiders should be vying to trade into the top-three picks to land one of this year's quarterback prospects. Although, veteran Jimmy Garoppolo remains a viable alternative. If the Raiders are forced to go with the latter, more investments in the defense should be forthcoming.

"With none of the top quarterbacks left on the board, the Raiders opt to improve their defense and get Maxx Crosby some help on the defensive line," Holder said. "Chandler Jones will be the other starting edge defender next season, but the 11-year veteran just turned 33 and Las Vegas can get out of his contract at the end of the year.

"Clemson's Myles Murphy is also big (6'5", 268 lbs.) and strong enough to take some reps along the interior, too. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will love that versatility."

Murphy entered the Tigers program as a heralded 5-star recruit yet never quite lived up to those expectations with 18.5 sacks in three seasons. But the physical tools are obvious for him to eventually develop into a premium pass-rusher, with enough athleticism to work off the edge and enough size, length and strength to win along the interior in certain sub-packages.

A year under the tutelage of Jones is the ideal situation for Murphy to learn how to use his gifts and realize his full potential.

How far will Carter fall in this draft after the story that came out a few minutes before he was supposed to take the podium for his media session at the scouting combine?

NFL teams will have all kinds of questions for Carter, but the fact that he's seen by many as the best overall prospect in this class will certainly buttress any massive fall down the boards. There's a lot we don't yet know, so for now, we'll assume a short drop, with someone taking a shot on Carter's actual generational talent (that word is thrown around far too often) over the unfortunate variables.

If the Raiders don't address their quarterback need in free agency, they could take Levis or Anthony Richardson here.

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