Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock recently said the team is happy with Derek Carr leading the way. Whether he was being honest or he’s keeping it close to the chest, the 2020 NFL will offer choices at quarterback and Jordan Love will be one of them.
The Raiders have expressed their support for Carr but they were also heavily shopping him as recently as this past NFL Scouting Combine. They also signed Marcus Mariota, whose current role with the team is as a backup but has incentives in his contract that could see him get paid like a starter in case he saw the field and played like one.
All this might be indicative of the Raiders parting ways with Carr and selecting a developmental prospect. Maybe they will keep Carr, Mariota and get on in the draft. We won’t know until then. In the meantime, Las Vegas has performed their due diligence and have talked to Jake Fromm, Justin Herbert and weren’t happy Jalen Hurts looked so good at the combine.
Raiders Blog: Would They Actually Pick Love?
More recently, there hasn’t been another report or information linking the Raiders and Love, but Mel Kiper of ESPN sees the match coming to fruition with the 19th overall pick in his latest mock. If that’s the case, the Raider must be looking at his college tape as evaluators around the league don’t seem to agree on what kind of player he is. According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, there is little consensus regarding Love.
Related: Top Guards That Raiders Need to Target
Freeman says that “Love has generated an array of opinions that spans the spectrum of evaluation. Some personnel people adore him and believe he’ll be a special player. Other teams think he’s a project whose future lies most likely as a backup” and also mentioned that “some seem to think Love will be really good. Others think he’ll barely be average. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground.”
Love’s Regression
Love’s uneven performance the last couple years have brought the “sharpest scrutiny” as he regressed last year after passing for 3,567 yards, 32 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 2018. Regardless of his dip in production last year, the Raiders could have him sit on the bench and learn in order to max out his potential. There’s no need to rush him into action independently of his immediate role with the team as Carr is projected to be starter.
You May Also Like: Betting Odds For Raiders’ First Round Picks
Well soon know if the Raiders’ interest in Love is legit. For the moment, let’s all hope Mayock isn’t basing his evaluation on this highlight reel:
Does Jordan Love know what a cornerback is?
— Seth Galina (@pff_seth) April 14, 2020
MY COLUMN: pic.twitter.com/bsuJmCYFA8