Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden closely studied quarterbacks prior to the four drafts he was in charge of in his second stint with the franchise. Yet, Gruden didn’t draft at the position from 2018-21. The Raiders haven’t taken a quarterback in the draft since they selected Michigan State’s Connor Cook in the fourth round (in a trade up) of the 2016 draft. He was taken to be a premium backup who could be flipped in a trade to a team that wanted him to start, but Cook never developed.
With starting Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr turning 31 next month and potentially being a free agent next year, and with backup Marcus Mariota a free agent this year, it may be time for the Raiders to use a pick in the draft at some point.