Should the Raiders draft a QB in 2023?

Jimmy Garoppolo arrives in Las Vegas after a rollercoaster career in the NFL so far.

He has always shown that he has the ability to be a solid starter in the NFL, yet there has always been consistent rumours that teams aren’t fully sold on the 31-year-old.

There are many different opinions on why the Raiders chose to sign Garoppolo. It could be seen as a bit of a stop-gap move, as it’s considered likely that he will have a similar level of production as previous Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.

Having said all this, it was reported earlier this week by Adam Schefter that the Arizona Cardinals have received a lot of offers for their first pick at #3 overall. Given that it is a decent draft class in terms of quarterbacks, and a lot of teams in need of their new franchise QB, it begs the question as to whether the Raiders should trade up.

What will Garoppolo bring to Las Vegas?

Garoppolo was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2014 draft. After backing up for Tom Brady for the first four years of his career, Bill Belichick wanted to move on from Brady with Garoppolo but the ownership didn’t approve of the decision, hence his subsequent deal to the San Francisco 49ers.

What is interesting about Garoppolo’s time with the Patriots is his relationship with the at the time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, now of course the head coach of the Raiders which means that there is some familiarity between head coach and quarterback. Garoppolo may find success with a McDaniels’ scheme as he usually likes to rely on the run.

This should benefit Garoppolo as it somewhat takes the pressure off him. We know he can lead a good level of performance in a run-heavy scheme as he took the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. Looking at his body of work in San Francisco, he led the team to a Super Bowl in 2019 and the NFC championship in 2021 as the starter.

You know what you are going to get with Garoppolo, a quarterback who can win games albeit with the occasional error.

Need a higher ceiling to compete in the AFC West

On the flipside, you could make the argument that Garoppolo has a ceiling which makes the decision to draft a quarterback clear. A big problem that has faced Garoppolo over his career is the ability to stay healthy, as he has rarely completed every game in a season due to injury.

In today’s league, this is as important as ever, and the key to having a successful season is a team staying healthy. This is why it might be a good idea to bring in another young quarterback to develop, and there is no reason they can’t use this draft to get one. The ideal spot for the Raiders to move up to would be number three at the Cardinals, with the Panthers and Texans set at one and two.

Looking at the options to choose from are interesting, with the two best quarterbacks in the draft likely gone by the time they pick, even if they trade up. Most likely, Bryce Yong and C.J Stroud will be selected by the Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans, leaving the likes of Anthony Richardson and Will Levis to choose from.

Levis would be a good choice for Las Vegas, if McDaniels decides to have a run-heavy scheme, as it will leave opportunities for play action throws. This would help Levis to show off his arm strength, while also improving his accuracy levels as he completed over 60 percent of his passes every season of his college career. Elsewhere, the Raiders could even trade for a pick later on in the first round to potentially get a player like Hendon Hooker. 

Hopefully Garoppolo will make the impact the Raiders want, but at 31, he isn’t going to be at the helm forever, which means bringing in a quarterback may help the franchise to secure their future. That’s why it would be a great idea to draft a quarterback while you have Garoppolo as a starter.