With the Carolina Panthers now sitting atop the draft, the expectation is that quarterbacks will be picked at No. 1 and No. 2 (Houston Texans own the second pick in the 2023 NFL Draft). And with the Indianapolis Colts sitting at No. 4, teams needing a quarterback will be calling the Cardinals about the No. 3 pick.
The Raiders were reportedly interested in trading for the No. 1 pick but didn’t have a “D.J. Moore” level of talent to add to a trade. But could they move up to No. 3, provided the right quarterback was available?
In a recent mock draft by CBS Sports, Josh Edwards had the Raiders trading up to No. 3 to land Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud. Here is what he thought about the trade and the pick:
Las Vegas trades up to take the third quarterback off the board. The Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency but probably do not view him as the long-term answer. A 2024 first-round pick goes back to Arizona as part of the trade.
The expectation is that Stroud will still be the No. 1 pick, but that isn’t a guarantee. And if he falls to No. 3, it would make a lot of sense for the Raiders to go get him given all of the extra draft capital they’ve added this offseason.
If the right quarterback prospect becomes available at No. 3, look for the Raiders to be aggressive in moving up for him during the 2023 NFL Draft. Of all the quarterbacks in this year’s class, Stroud does appear to be the best fit in the offense under Josh McDaniels.
