The expectation for the last few weeks is that the Arizona Cardinals are looking to trade out of the No. 3 spot. With the Cardinals already having Kyler Murray under contract, they have no need for a quarterback and need the draft picks to rebuild the defense.
So with the Raiders already expressing interest in trading up in this year’s draft, could the Cardinals at No. 3 be the ideal landing spot to grab a franchise quarterback? And if so, who might Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels target at No. 3?
In a recent mock draft done by the Pro Football Focus analytics team, they had the Raiders trading up from No. 7 to No. 3 to select Florida QB Anthony Richardson. Here is what they had to say about the trade and the fit of Richardson in Las Vegas:
The Raiders are currently in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, which means they need a quarterback of that caliber to compete in the long term.
As PFF’s Timo Riske outlined, Richardson has the goods to develop once he hits the NFL and become an elite quarterback based on his physical tools. Going to a team where he can sit a year behind Jimmy Garoppolo and be mentored, similar to Trey Lance, would be a good landing spot.
Richardson is the most athletic quarterback in NFL history, running a 4.4 40-yard dash at 244 pounds. But he is extremely raw and could benefit from a year or two of sitting on the bench behind a veteran QB. That’s why Las Vegas could be a perfect fit after the team signed Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason.
If the Raiders want to take a quarterback this offseason, this is the draft to do so. And Richardson is the type of talent worth gambling on at No. 3 in this year’s draft.
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