Raiders Predicted to Make Blockbuster Trade for ‘Supernova’ Franchise QB
Caleb Williams, NFL mock draft topper, and potential Raiders QB?
Caleb Williams, NFL mock draft topper, and potential Raiders QB?
All right, maybe Aidan O’Connell is not the answer at quarterback in Las Vegas after all. Not that such a judgment would be made after just one game, but if the Raiders close out 2023 with more O’Connell performances like the one we saw on Sunday against the Vikings, a 3-0 disaster, something will need to be done about the Raiders quarterback situation. And at DraftKings, in their latest NFL mock draft, they’ve got the Raiders making a bold trade: Moving all the way up to No. 1, where they’re projected to pick Caleb Williams.
Bold, indeed. The journey from the No. 8 pick to the No. 1 pick is a long one. The move certainly would be an old-school, Raiders-esque kind of trade of the Ted Hendricks or Daryle LaMonica type that Al Davis once made. The writer for DK, Nick Simon, referenced that in summing up the potential move.
“Between Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O’Connell, the Silver and Black clearly do not have a QB on the roster that can lead this franchise into the future,” he wrote. “And even with this being a QB-heavy draft, some of the top prospects may be gone by No. 8. So in this week’s mock exercise, we’ll project Mark Davis channeling his father by trading a draft haul to the Bears to select Williams with the No. 1 pick.”
How Much Would No. 1 Pick Cost the Raiders?
One of the big questions about the No. 1 pick in this year draft is what, exactly, the Bears would ask a team like the Raiders for it. The pick belongs to Carolina, but the Panthers sent their first-rounder to Chicago for last year’s No. 1 pick, used on quarterback Bryce Young. But Young has had no impact on the Panthers in the standings, so the Bears are in position to have the top pick again.
With quarterback Justin Fields playing better here late in the season, there is some notion that he could stick around in Chicago, after a season of rumors that seemed to have Fields being traded away from the Bears, with the top pick being used on Caleb Williams in most NFL mock drafts
The Bears got the Panthers’ first rounder in 2023, a second rounder in 2023, the 2024 first-rounder, a 2025 second-round pick plus star receiver D.J. Moore for the No. 1 overall selection. But the Raiders are not going to give up a haul like that, and it is unlikely that anyone else would, not with what happened to Carolina (1-13) since picking Young.
Caleb Williams: Still No. 1 in NFL Mock Draft?
Still, this is a strong draft for quarterbacks, and while the Raiders could land a solid prospect at No. 8, Caleb Williams is the pick of the litter in most NFL mock drafts. If you are going to start over with a rookie quarterback, why not get the best one available?
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