The belief around NFL circles for the last few months is that the Raiders are only interested in two first-round quarterbacks in this year’s class; Bryce Young (Alabama) and C.J. Stroud (Ohio State). But what are the chances that either player is available past pick No. 2?
In a recent mock draft by Eric Edholm of NFL.com, he had Young being picked at No. 1 and Will Anderson Jr. going No. 2 to the Texans. That left C.J. Stroud to be on the board at No. 3 and that’s who the Raiders moved up for in this mock.
Here is what Edholm had to say about the trade-up and Stroud’s fit with the Raiders at pick No. 3:
Keep an eye on the Titans as a possibility for Stroud here, too. But if the Raiders view Stroud as one of their blue-chip QB prospects, they should not hesitate to slide up four spots to get him. Jimmy Garoppolo’s deal essentially boils down to a one-year guarantee, and his injury history is well-documented. Stroud could give Josh McDaniels the kind of low-pulse QB he wants to build around.
Stroud seems to be a perfect fit in the offense under Josh McDaniels as he is accurate and gets rid of the ball quickly. However, he could benefit from sitting behind Jimmy Garoppolo for a season to learn the offense and catch up to the speed of the NFL.
Could a trade-up from No. 3 happen? Sure. But it would likely need to be for Stroud if he falls to that spot. It’s something to monitor as we inch closer to the draft on Thursday.