The first mock draft of the post-Derek Carr era comes by way of ESPN’s Todd McShay. And as you should have expected, he has the Raiders going quarterback with their pick at seven overall.
With Bryce Young (Colts via trade) and CJ Stroud (Texans) taken with the first two picks, McShay has four picks without a QB taken. Then the Raiders nab the consensus next best QB on the board…
Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
The Derek Carr era is over, and Tom Brady is no longer an option after he retired this month. Las Vegas will explore other available veterans, but Levis would fit in nicely. He has a huge arm to drive the ball downfield to Davante Adams, and at 232 pounds, he is a strong runner on designed rushes and scrambles. Levis has experience with pro-style concepts, too, and his ceiling is sky high. But can coach Josh McDaniels clean up Levis’ turnovers (23 interceptions over the past two years) and maximize his traits? That will be the biggest question for the team that ultimately picks Levis. If the Raiders can iron out those issues, they might have a long-term solve to help them compete in the AFC West with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
The two tackles who have been commonly mocked to the Raiders — Peter Skoronsky and Paris Johnson Jr — were both on the board and go with two of the next four picks to the Falcons and Titans respectively.
The next QB taken is Florida’s Anthony Richardson at nine overall to the Panthers.
