Las Vegas Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Insider lists Raiders as a potential team that could move up and draft QB

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 4/4/23

There are four potential first-round QBs in the 2023 draft. With all four expected to be selected in the draft's first five picks, several teams, including the Raiders, are exploring the possibility of trading up into that range to snag one of the signal-callers.

Per The Athletic's Tashan Reed and Jeff Howe, before Las Vegas signed Jimmy Garoppolo, it called Chicago about the No. 1 overall pick but decided not to make an offer since the asking price was outrageous. Yet they're still contemplating trading up to draft a QB.

On a recent episode of the "Move the Sticks" podcast, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said, "You look at the Raiders at No. 7. I've talked to a few teams that are watching the Raiders there. They believe that with Jimmy Garoppolo as sort of a bridge QB, for at least a year, they're in the perfect spot to get a future passer."

Perhaps the Raiders hosting multiple QBs on Top 30 visits is a sign. They hosted Kentucky's Will Levis on Monday. Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Florida's Anthony Richardson will visit them on Friday.

Anthony Richardson will begin his pre-draft visits with the #Raiders on Friday, per source. Richardson will visit six teams, including Carolina, which hosts multiple top QBs as part of its Top 30 visits.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 3, 2023

Las Vegas seems particularly interested in the Florida QB. GM Dave Ziegler attended Richardson's pro day and other members of the Raiders' brass recently held a dinner with him.

Regardless of which QB the Raiders prefer, they must move quickly. In two of the three previous drafts (2020 and 2021), three teams selected QBs within the top 10, and the top of this year's draft is expected to be even more QB-heavy. In Todd McShay's latest mock draft, the ESPN draft expert predicts that the first three picks will be QBs.

The Raiders can't hesitate if they want a QB because the position is a hot commodity in this draft, and someone else will likely move up if they don't.

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