The Raiders WILL Draft a Quarterback in the Fourth Round
While Carr should get one more season under center, the Raiders are likely going to think about the future of the position. If Carr puts together another poor performance in 2019, there’s a strong chance the team moves on.
Taking a QB in the fourth round doesn’t mean they’ll be landing their quarterback of the future. But the Raiders would be able to acquire a developmental prospect to build around Carr. If he performs to the level they expect, perhaps they build around that prospect rather than spending money or draft capital on another option.
Outside of just the future, the Raiders are in desperate need of a quarterback behind Carr. Backup A.J. McCarron is under contract for just one more season. But McCarron hasn’t started a game since 2015 and has just eight NFL passes outside of that season. Going on 29, he isn’t the future for the Raiders.
Besides McCarron, the Raiders did sign one quarterback to a reserve/future contract. But his name is Nathan Peterman. If Peterman were to make starts for the Raiders, fans might willfully push them out of Oakland.
The first three rounds of the draft usually hold sure-fire talent that is likely to make an impact sooner rather than later. While the fourth round and beyond can hold those players, the draft becomes more of a crapshoot. If the Raiders want to get a quality quarterback to backup Carr/potentially build around, taking him in the fourth makes sense.
Some potential QBs could be Auburn’s Jared Stidham, NC State’s Ryan Finley, or Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson. While none of these quarterbacks may be ready to start right away, with proper training, they all hold potential and could be starters down the road.
Taking a QB in the fourth doesn’t necessarily take them out of the running for a player like Herbert or Tagovailo, Fromm or Eason. However, it would give the Raiders a potential replacement for Carr and a much better backup should he get hurt in 2019.
The Raiders should be looking to add day one play-makers all throughout their draft. In the fourth they could take a chance and grab a quarterback. He could be Carr’s replacement or be an insurance policy for whoever ends up replacing Carr.
Whatever is the case, Oakland will find some quarterback talent in the 2019 draft.
