With draft visits set to take off over the next few days, plenty of eyes will remain on the Raiders as a potential wild-card in the rookie quarterback market. Vegas will be active in doing their homework on some of the top passers in this year’s class. 
The Raiders have already been active in evaluating rookie QB options, including spending time with Kentucky’s Will Levis before his pro day. As expected, that has been followed up by an official pre-draft visit. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Levis met with Vegas at their facility today (Twitter link). That news comes amongst other interest showed by the team in a potential addition during the first round of this month’s draft.
The Raiders will be the first team to host Anthony Richardson on a top-30 visit this Friday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Florida product, Fowler adds, is slated to have six sit-downs with interested teams, Vegas having previously been reported to be one of them. Richardson has shot up draft boards since the end of the season, given his intriguing size and skillset, and his performances at the Combine and his pro day. After watching him at the latter, Raiders GM Dave Ziegler was among the contingent of executives which met with the dual-threat passer, and the team was “impressed” with Richardson, as noted (on Twitter) by Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Raiders currently own the seventh overall pick in the draft, which could put them in play for either Levis or Richardson. The pair are seen as the more developmental signal-callers amongst the four presumed first-rounders compared to Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. Levis has shown elements of high-end play as a passer and runner, but also lacks consistency and threw 23 interceptions in two years with the Wildcats. Richardson, meanwhile, had just one year as a starter and competed only 53.8% of his passes in 2022 while displaying a variance of success in the pocket along with enticing athleticism.
Vegas replaced Derek Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency, but the team has made it known they are willing to draft a long-term prospect as early as 2023. That could be possible if one of Levis or Richardson fall to No. 7 on the board, but a trade-up scenario may also be in play. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah named the Raiders – just like the Titans – a team to watch on the subject of moving up to secure a signal-caller (h/t Yardbarker.com).
The Raiders have a number of positions of need after last year’s 6-11 season. Adding to the league’s 28th-ranked total defense from 2022 would be achieved if the team preferred a prospect on that side of the ball with their top selection, but an aggressive move aimed at securing a long-term Carr successor can’t be ruled out.
Wish I could compete 53.8% of my passes.
Good one!
Can’t wait to see some GM lose their job for drafting AR.
AR is absolutely a boom or bust pick! Calijah Kancey is boom or bust guy too!
I would much rather the Raiders go with Gonzalez, Skoronski or even Carter if they determine that’s he’s not likely to continue to make bad decisions off the field. The defense has been killing us for a long time and Jimmy G will not make it through a full season without being well protected. Drafting a QB with so many other necessary upgrades available would be a terrible decision in my opinion.