There are five quarterbacks in the 2021 draft that are widely considered to be first-round talents. The only question seems to be in what order they will be selected and how quickly they will be off the board.
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is the consensus number one overall pick to the Jaguars. While Ohio State QB Justin Fields and BYU QB Zach Wilson are considered surefire top ten picks. The next two are Alabama’s Mac Jones and North Dakota State QB Trey Lance.
Currently, the Raiders hold the 17th overall pick. Could Jones or Lance be on the board when they pick? And if so, would they take either of them?
Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports thinks so. With the other four QBs long gone, and Lance there for the taking, he has the Raiders pulling the trigger on the FCS QB at 17 overall in his recent mock draft.
“There was a report last week that the Raiders might be willing to move on from Derek Carr, presumably with the plan of landing Deshaun Watson. But even if that doesn’t happen, Vegas and Jon Gruden might be in the market for a young QB. Lance has all the physical tools to compete at a high level, he just needs experience — and experience against top-flight talent after playing at FCS program North Dakota State.”
Even with the Raiders’ needs on defense, this pick makes sense. Lance is a tremendous prospect, having thrown for 28 touchdowns with zero interceptions and rushing for 14 more TDs his last season there, leading the Bison to consecutive FCS Championships.
The Raiders figure to make a move at quarterback this offseason. Whether it will involve Derek Carr or Marcus Mariota. Either way, it would make sense to add a young talent to the mix. And to say the Raiders should pass on Lance because of needs elsewhere is to suggest they reach for need, which is rarely a good idea.
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