Raiders, Will Levis Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
As the Las Vegas Raiders move to replace Derek Carr, these three potential options have not been prominently mentioned yet.
In recent years, it always felt like a matter of time before Derek Carr was replaced as the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback. That time is here now, as the Raiders cut their long-time signal caller ahead of having to guarantee him significant money for 2023. He is getting a nice head start on free agency, if nothing else.
Some of general manager Dave Ziegler’s recent comments about the quarterback situation in Carr’s wake, on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, did not fill Raiders fans with hope for next season.
We’re in charge of filling the most important position on the team,” he said. “There’s some pressure that comes along with that, and however we fill it, it doesn’t mean we’re going to have an immediate answer this year. But, at the end of the day, we have to have an answer in some form or fashion. There’s pressure that comes along with it. That’s also part of the excitement too.”
It seems more and more unlikely the Raiders make a deal for Aaron Rodgers. But moving on…
The Raiders have the seventh overall pick in April’s draft. So they should be in position to take a quarterback, once Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are all but surely gone. They could also trade up to get Young or Stroud, but that would mean surrendering additional draft capital that should be used to bolster the rest of the roster.
Beyond Rodgers and some others, it’s harder to find obvious replacement options for Carr. Here are three who haven’t been mentioned a lot yet that the Raiders could consider.
3 replacement options for Derek Carr Raiders could consider who we haven’t mentioned yet
3. Will Levis
After Young and Stroud, and maybe Anthony Richardson depending on who you talk to, Levis is the next best quarterback in this year’s draft and a likely top-10 pick. He’s toolsy and fairly raw, and he’s also coming off a disappointing final season at Kentucky (19 touchdowns, 10 interceptions).
With Young, Stroud and Richardson off the board at 1-2-3, Levis went to the Raiders at No. 7 in the fresh mock draft from Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus.
With Derek Carr out the door, the Raiders will need to invest in a quarterback Josh McDaniels can hitch his coaching wagon to. I don’t think that will come in the form of a quarterback available in free agency or via trade (don’t think they’ll make a big move for Aaron Rodgers). Levis at least gives them some significant upside to buy into.
PFF Draft Guide Bottom Line: Levis’ tape has so much to like from a tools and NFL-readiness standpoint, but his accuracy — or lack thereof — is borderline untenable at this point.
Levis might be an investment that doesn’t pay off right away, or maybe Josh McDaniels taps into his job security with owner Mark Davis and goes with a rookie starter from Day 1 in a full reset.
