Free agency has officially begun, and the Raiders have come away with players such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Jakobi Meyers. The direction of the team isn’t every fan’s cup of tea; while some retain their faith in the second-year regime, others have given up hope altogether.
Another polarizing offseason in Las Vegas.
Surprisingly, this week’s Raiders mailbag doesn’t contain any questions related to free agency. Instead, Raider Nation is zeroed-in on the 2023 NFL Draft. Will the Raiders trade up early for a quarterback? How about drafting two quarterbacks? Could DeAndre Hopkins wind up alongside Davante Adams in Las Vegas? You’ll find my thoughts on all of those questions and more. If you have a question you want me to answer, either message me directly or comment on my weekly Raiders mailbag tweet, as seen here.
Raiders mailbag ?
Comment/send me your questions, #RaiderNation. Draft, FA, current roster.. anything you have for me. I’ll get to them all!
— Alex Monfreda (@AlexMonfreda) March 16, 2023
Let’s get to those questions.
Raiders mailbag: Focusing on the 2023 NFL Draft
Q: What are the chances Raiders trade up. If so which QB do they prefer?
Answer: In my eyes, I just can’t see the Raiders trading up – especially after Carolina snagged the first-overall pick. Add that to the fact there’s a certain mid-draft quarterback the team admires, and it doesn’t make much sense to pass on a stud defensive prospect or trade down for more assets; the latter being what I believe they’ll try to do.
Q: Any chance the Raiders take TWO QBs this year? I could see Will Levis + Stetson?
Answer: That’s not funny. You know exactly what you’re doing with that Stetson, Raiders talk. No, I don’t think Las Vegas drafts two quarterbacks, nor do I think Levis or Stetson will be Raiders in April. I’m higher on Stetson than pretty much anyone, so I’d love to be wrong on that.
Q: The Raiders have a lot of draft capital right now. Do they use it all or make trades to get some of their “guys”?
Answer: I don’t think they use all their picks, no. I don’t believe they’ll trade up at seven, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they moved up a few spots anywhere else, including at 38. Trading draft picks for players on other rosters is certainly interesting, but I don’t know the Raiders would be targeting. Let me check the Patriots’ roster really quick..
DeAndre Hopkins and more
Q: Do you see a trade up with AZ with a package that could include Hopkins?
Answer: Absolutely not. Aside from the Raiders already having Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers, both who average north of $10 million per season, DeAndre Hopkins has both a massive contract and cap hit. As it stands, Las Vegas couldn’t even afford to take on Hopkin’s contract without freeing a sizable amount of cap. Of course, this is without including Hunter Renfrow, whose future is up in the air.
Q: It was reported that the Raiders top 4 QBs in the draft are different than the consensus top 4, would you know who’s in/out?
Answer: Here’s what I can tell you: The Raiders’ interest in Jake Haener is very real. I believe the team is targeting a quarterback in the middle of the draft, and Haener is a guy to watch. Dare I say, don’t be surprised if you saw Darren Waller be traded for the Fresno State QB.
*Top Photo: Sports Illustrated
