Las Vegas Raiders Mock Draft Roundup 4.0

If the Raiders go the veteran route to replace Derek Carr, adding more O-line help could be the play here. Johnson is powerful and loose with starting experience at guard and tackle.

The Las Vegas Raiders' offensive line needs more building blocks to go with Kolton Miller. Paris Johnson Jr. has the size, balance, and mobility to be an impact starter across from Miller and he has experience playing on the right side of the ball.

This is making one massive assumption — a 12 is going to be the new Raider quarterback. Whether it's Brady or Rodgers, the guess is that Vegas will find an insta-fit passer and draft the star tackle to rebuild the front.

It's been pretty clear that the Raiders have moved on from Derek Carr, which opens the door for them to spend the draft capital on Young and begin a new era in the desert with the playmaking QB who should team up well with Davante Adams.

The price to jump Indianapolis and snag the next-best quarterback on the list (at least as I see it, that's C.J. Stroud) is going to be expensive. The Raiders have enough to make that work, though. They're probably overpaying here, but even after giving up these picks, the Raiders still would have a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick and five selections on Day 3. They'd also have a new franchise QB.

The battle for OT1 will be fascinating to watch this draft season. Northwestern's Peter Skoronski fascinates me, as he showcases the technique, and the varied approach, that will serve him well in the NFL. He mixes up his pass sets, keeping rushers on their toes when coming off the ball.

However, as we see each cycle, there is already a question of whether he would be better suited to playing guard in the NFL.

He looks like a tackle to me.

As for why the Raiders would draft a tackle? Well, someone has to block for Tom Brady ...

Jarrett Stidham balled out in Week 17 against the 49ers, but it's hard to imagine he'll be in the team's long-term plans as a starter. And with Derek Carr set to be somewhere else in 2023, drafting a QB seems to be a high priority. Will Levis, who definitely looks the part, was plagued by injuries and poor play all fall. That said, NFL teams love how he projects to the next level, but he'll be a controversial talking point in the coming months.

The Raiders' decision-makers are in a tough spot. They clearly went all in last season when trading for Davante Adams, hoping it would take Derek Carr and the franchise to the next level.

It backfired horrendously.

Now with all the pressure on both head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, I can't imagine they have the ability to draft QB3 or QB4 in this class and just be mediocre at best while starting a rookie next season. Instead, I think they'll be very aggressive in the veteran quarterback market and will prioritize the offensive line in the top 10 of the draft. Despite not having ideal measurables with arm length (actually started his college career as a center), Skoronski earned an elite 92.4 pass-blocking grade in 2022 as the Wildcats' left tackle.

The Raiders are a team to watch for a trade up for a quarterback, but they also might prefer a veteran -- Tom Brady? -- over a rookie to take over for Derek Carr in 2023. This is a veteran roster that could compete in the AFC West with the right guy under center. That guy also needs help along the offensive line, though; only left tackle Kolton Miller's starting spot should be guaranteed going forward. Skoronski, who started 33 games at left tackle for the Wildcats, could move to guard or right tackle at the next level. He allowed just one sack in 2022. He'd be an instant starter for a new-look offense.

Upgrading the protection around a new franchise quarterback should be part of Josh McDaniels' master plan this offseason.

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