MOBILE, Ala. — The Raiders got their first close look at a significant part of the NFL draft class this week at the Senior Bowl.
The information they gathered won’t entirely guide the decisions awaiting coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek, but it will help shape their thought process. That includes how they approach the quarterback position and whether they can afford to wait until later in the draft to address certain roster needs.
Here are three observations:
1. How to handle quarterback
It isn’t always easy to assess the quarterbacks during Senior Bowl week. They are digesting new offenses and playing with wide receivers and skill players they just met for the most part.
The setting is not always conducive to making snap judgments.
That said, this week proved there are viable NFL quarterbacks beyond Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward, considered the top two prospects.
What’s also apparent — even regarding Sanders and Ward — is that the draft won’t produce a quarterback who will make an instant impact next season.
That’s particularly important to the Raiders, who have the No. 6 pick and probably won’t get Sanders or Ward without trading up. That means turning to second-tier quarterbacks such as Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss and Jalen Milroe of Alabama, who have steeper development curves.
That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though. It means the Raiders must be patient with expectations and their developmental timeline. As Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes and Jordan Love have proven, a disciplined, patient approach can yield high-end, championship-caliber quarterbacks.
That opens the door for the Raiders to look to free agency for a veteran quarterback such as Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson or Daniel Jones to buy development time for a prospect.
Dart won’t wow anyone with one particular trait, but he’s solid in every area. His arm is strong enough. He throws with touch and accuracy. He’s nimble in the pocket and can make plays with his feet.
It might take a season, but he projects as a solid NFL starter.
Milroe’s elite arm and athletic ability make him the highest-ceiling quarterback in the draft. But he needs work on accuracy, timing and ball placement. He showed steady improvement at the Senior Bowl.
2. Deep class along defensive line
The Raiders need reinforcements along the defensive line, as former first-round pick Tyree Wilson has been slow to develop and they have a handful of pending free agents.
The Senior Bowl offered plenty of worthy candidates on the interior and edge.
The best at the positions — Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Michigan’s Mason Graham and Georgia’s Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker — didn’t attend this week. But the slew of impressive prospects who did proved this is a deep draft on the defensive front.
Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander solidified himself as a second-round pick with incredible strength and quickness. Virginia Tech’s Aeneas Peebles, Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen, South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders, Florida State’s Joshua Farmer and Kentucky’s Deone Walker round out a deep group of interior linemen.
On the edge, Marshall’s Mike Green, Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku, Minnesota’s Jah Joyner, Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, UCLA’s Olu Oladejo, Ole Miss’ Princely Umanmielen and Nebraska’s Ty Robinson had impressive weeks.
3. Plenty of receivers available
The Raiders need to find complementary pieces to build around star tight end Brock Bowers, especially with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers entering the final year of his contract.
Arizona star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan profiles as an instant impact player, but the Raiders would have to take him at No. 6. They might decide to address other needs at that point.
If so, there are many wide receiver prospects beyond the first round.
Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, two distinctly different players and body types, were unguardable this week.
Higgins is a 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pounder who projects as more of a perimeter weapon. Noel measured at 5-9 and is expected to play in the slot. He flashed tremendous speed, quickness and explosiveness.
Washington State’s Kyle Williams, TCU’s Jack Bech, Oregon’s Tez Johnson, Utah State’s Jalen Royals, Georgia’s Arian Smith and Miami’s Xavier Restrepo had productive weeks.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
