The Las Vegas Raiders continue to be one of the most interesting teams to watch as the 2023 NFL Draft nears. While it is clear that the team has a lot of holes to fill, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, there seems to be a real interest in potentially selecting a quarterback with their top pick with Florida’s Anthony Richardson seeming like a real possibility.
While nowhere near the most polished player at his position, Richardson is a physical marvel drawing comparisons to former NFL MVP Cam Newton with his size and speed as a quarterback along with excellent arm strength. Most don’t expect Richardson to be ready to be an NFL starter from Day 1, but whether that would stop the Raiders from taking him remains unclear.
But it does seem as if the Raiders have a lot of interest in Richardson as Tom Pelissero of NFL Network named the Raiders as the team that loves Richardson the most, via The Raider Ramble:
“I was at that Pro Day [Florida’s], and the Raiders spent a lot of time with him. They took him to dinner the night before, they brought him in for a visit as well. They’re done a lot of diligence on the quarterbacks which is interesting because you look at Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract, he’s going to be the quarterback for two years. He’s going to be there [Garoppolo]. But with Richardson, you’re also getting a guy you probably don’t want to play Day 1.”
On one hand, there would seem to be a bit of logic in taking a quarterback project when you have a ready-to-go starter in Jimmy Garoppolo under contract for the short term. In theory, the Raiders could develop Richardson while Garoppolo holds things down over the next year or two.
But on the other hand, the Raiders are looking to win now, and taking a player who likely won’t be able to help immediately over a defensive stud who can make an impact from the moment he steps on the field might not be the best idea. It could ultimately come down to whether Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels see Richardson as a legit franchise quarterback.
Richardson needs to be polished as he completed just 53.8% of his passes last year for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns, but if the Raiders see him as the next Newton or Josh Allen it could be hard to pass up.
This pick could provide the Raiders with a top-flight defensive lineman such as Tyree Wilson or Jalen Carter, or a lockdown corner like Christian Gonzalez or Devon Witherspoon. The Raiders brass will be facing a tough decision as to what is most important come draft night.
