It was well known that the Las Vegas Raiders were in the market for a quarterback this offseason. The team would sign veteran Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year deal, but he is not the long-term solution at the position, and the Raiders know this.
As such, the team looked towards the draft for that answer, but with the seventh overall pick knew they were out of range to grab one of the top QB prospects. The Raiders attempted to trade up in the draft, and it has now been revealed that they were apparently targeting Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky recently revealed this on an episode of the Dan Patrick Show, noting that it was Stroud whom the Raiders had their eye on in their attempts to move up in the draft, via Matt Holder of Silver And Black Pride:
The Las Vegas Raiders were key players in the quarterback market this offseason and the Houston Texans’ rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud was one of the Raiders’ top targets, according to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky.
Orlovsky went on the ‘Dan Patrick Show’ this week and said; “We know that [the Raiders] tried to trade up for C.J. Stroud this past year,” while discussing the Silver and Black’s outlook for the rest of this season and beyond.
The Raiders were in discussions with the Chicago Bears on moving up for the top overall pick but were unable to match their asking price, with the Carolina Panthers ultimately moving in and acquiring the pick. The Panthers took Bryce Young, with Stroud going second overall to the Houston Texans, and so far, Stroud is looking like a future star.
The rookie has already broken the NFL record for pass attempts without an interception to start a career. In six games, Stroud has completed 59.6% of his passes for 1,660 yards, nine touchdowns and only one interception. He has been poised and under control and is a big reason the Texans have been more competitive than most expected.
It is unfortunate that the Raiders were unable to figure out a way to move up for Stroud, as he would very likely have been the answer the franchise was looking for at quarterback. But it simply wasn’t meant to be, and the Raiders must focus on who they have in the building now. The team is still full of talent and has the makings of a playoff team, but it is hard not to wonder what could have been.
