CBS Sports: The Las Vegas Raiders sign a blockbuster deal to land talented top rising QB from rival.
For the young quarterback, Las Vegas is once again in the running.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ leadership and fan base were certain of one thing as the offseason started: the team needed a franchise quarterback. Many supported selecting a young signal-caller with the sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft to train under seasoned head coach Pete Carroll, but the Raiders’ trade for veteran quarterback Geno Smith complicated matters.
The club had to look for a quarterback who would be available in the second round or later; they could no longer choose a top-tier talent on the first day of the selection. Raider Nation began to gather behind the thought that Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart may be the solution with the No. 37 overall pick.
Sadly for the Raiders, Dart started to rise in the draft rankings following strong performances at a number of pre-draft competitions, and many believed he may not even make it to round two, much less the top 10. This idea was reinforced by his invitation to the NFL Draft, which this year aimed to bring in only guaranteed Day 1 talents.
For the Raiders, Jaxson Dart’s most recent NFL Draft selection is a miracle.
On Friday, though, the NFL released a revised roster of candidates scheduled to attend next Thursday’s NFL Draft at Lambeau Stadium. Dart, who apparently backed out less than a week prior to the event, was conspicuously absent from the list.
This is fantastic news for the Raiders because it shows that Dart and his team are not certain he will be selected in the first round. The club will not hesitate to pass on a guy like Shedeur Sanders at No. 6 if Dart becomes unexpectedly available on Day 2 of the selection.
The Silver and Black will have a better chance of finding a qualified successor for Geno Smith when his contract expires, in addition to being able to select the top player available in the first round. Although there is no assurance that Dart will drop all the way to No. 37, the Raiders can only benefit from this news.
Las Vegas will still have some competition for the Ole Miss quarterback, as teams like the Browns and Giants choose before of them in round two. Several other clubs may trade into the back part of the first round as well to capture his abilities, but the Raiders now have that option as well.
Dart has several ties to the team because his college coach, Lane Kiffin, was Pete Carroll’s assistant for many years at Southern California and was the head coach in Oakland. There is already a familiarity under center because he played football with Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson during his senior year of high school.
While it may still be a long shot that the Raiders land Dart, the idea is undoubtedly back on the table. Whether he falls in their lap or the team moves up for him, it’d be hard to be angry if Las Vegas secures their quarterback of the future in this year’s selection.
