NFL rumors: Raiders won’t draft QB unless six teams do something stupid

The Las Vegas Raiders are interested in trading up for two quarterbacks in the NFL Draft, and they would need a lot of help for them to land one of them.

The 2023 NFL Draft is quickly approaching; the three-day event will begin on Thursday, Apr. 27. All eyes will be on the quarterbacks to begin the event, as the Carolina Panthers moved up to the No. 1 spot via a trade with the Chicago Bears to select one of their choosing. From there, it will be a matter of how far the remaining top quarterback prospects fall down the board.

One team that has done their homework on the quarterbacks throughout the pre-draft process were the Las Vegas Raiders. They hold the seventh-overall pick, and if they were to wait, the top options could very well be off the board. As it turns out, the Raiders have specific preferences as to who they are looking to draft.

During a SportsCenter Special on ESPN on Thursday Night, NFL Draft expert Todd McShay discussed the Houston Texans trading away their second-overall pick. McShay then said that the Raiders would make sense for a trade up, but they would only do so if it’s Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.

NFL rumors: Raiders only interested in trade up for QB if it’s Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud

“I think it’s much more likely if Houston’s going to make a deal to move out of 2, it’s going to be with Las Vegas,” McShay said, h/t Bleacher Report. “And I’m told that Las Vegas is only interested if the quarterback is named Young or Stroud.”

The Texans have an obvious need at quarterback, but ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter said this past Tuesday that he’s not convinced that that will be the move they make. If that is truly the case, Houston could either trade down to get more draft picks, or stay put and take another prospect, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.

Las Vegas has been meeting with the top four prospects in Young of Alabama, Stroud of Ohio State, Anthony Richardson of Florida and Will Levis of Kentucky for Top 30 visits. The Raiders do have Jimmy Garoppolo under contract for three-years, worth $72.8 million, but he is not their long-term option.

Drafting a quarterback that head coach Josh McDaniels can develop into their face of the franchise seems to be a move that they are considering. Let’s not forget that McDaniels worked with Mac Jones when he was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2021. In his first year, Jones shined and made the Pro Bowl.

As previous NFL Drafts has shown us, anything can happen. Could Stroud or Young drop down to No. 7? It’s possible, but not entirely likely. Hence why McShay mentioned the possibility of the Raiders moving up to the second-overall spot to select Young or Stroud.