The Raiders will have a tough decision to make in the 2023 NFL Draft. If they decide to draft a quarterback with their top pick, do they go safety or upside? They need a quarterback who can play right now, but they also need a passer who can compete with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in the AFC West.
In a recent mock draft done by Tashan Reed of The Athletic, he had the Raiders trading up for Florida QB Anthony Richardson. In this mock, the Raiders moved from No. 7 to No. 5 and it cost them a few Day 2 and Day 3 picks.
One of the reasons that Reed cited for the selection of Richardson was due to his superstar potential. Here is a snippet of Reed’s thoughts on the idea of Richardson being drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders:
Richardson is a physical marvel at 6-foot-4, 244 pounds with a supercharged arm, dynamic speed and special athleticism. Additionally, he made a strong impression on teams from an intangible standpoint in meetings at the combine.
He may not be ready to start in Year 1, but he would give the Raiders a quarterback with superstar potential. It’s a risky move, but given star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert are set to rule the AFC West for years to come, they take a shot on finding one of their own in Richardson.
Richardson might just be the most physically gifted quarterback to ever enter the NFL. But he’s also a long way away from being a polished passer and likely would need to sit a year (or more). But it’s hard not to get excited about his potential in Las Vegas given all of his tools.
If the Raiders want to find their version of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, or Josh Allen, they might want to seriously consider taking a swing on Richardson.
