2021 NFL Draft: Las Vegas Raiders 7-round mock

Derek Carr is deservely entrenched as the Raiders’ quarterback of the present, but Marcus Mariota is a good bet to leave the team in free agency. That leaves Las Vegas with a clear need to secure a new backup for Carr this offseason.

The team could opt for a veteran to fill that void, but there’s real logic behind the idea that the Raiders should roll the dice on a deveopmental quarterback late in the draft. Taking Purdy in the fourth round would give Gruden a new signal-caller to groom for the future.

Purdy’s accuracy inside the hash marks really stands out on film. Things get a little loose when he’s asked to throw the ball outside which causes his overal arm to grade out as slightly below average.

The former Iowa State standout makes up for those issues with his toughness and willingness to move around both inside and outside the pocket. He’s not an electric athlete on the perimeter but his willingness to tough it out for yards on the ground will endear him to Gruden throughout the pre-draft process.

Purdy likely won’t ever develop into a starter at the next level, but he should be an above-average backup. That is solid value for the Raiders in Round 4.