Las Vegas Raiders Rumored To Be Interested In Drafting Jalen Hurts
The Las Vegas Raiders might not have signed Tom Brady, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t trying to revamp their quarterback room. Not only did they sign Marcus Mariota to back up Derek Carr but they could be looking to draft a quarterback too. Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley says the team has been taking a long look at Oklahoma Sooners’ quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The big questions when it comes to the Raiders and Hurts are how much he’d be willing to sign for, as well as whether or not Las Vegas is high enough in the draft to get him. Buckley says other analysts have talked about how much they “definitely like” Hurts and if he’s still around when they get to draft outside of the first round, they might take him.
That would certainly create an interesting situation in that quarterback room. Carr seems to have held onto his starting job for 2020. But Mariota’s contract has him the highest-paid backup quarterback in the NFL. It seems unlikely the team is willing to pay that much money unless they expect him to take over, or at least push Carr for the starting job.
In that scenario, it would appear Hurts is the third quarterback and likely headed to the scout team. Would Las Vegas want to spend a second or third-round pick on a scout team quarterback? That’s the question front office types are reportedly asking themselves.
There was a time when Hurts was considered a bit of an afterthought. Despite a fantastic final season with the Oklahoma Sooners, he was considered a bit of a “system quarterback” and someone who makes plays with his legs more than his arm.
While he still showed off that speed at the NFL Combine, he also demonstrated an arm that scouts said could definitely play in the NFL. His performance drew rave reviews and likely bumped up his prospects in next month’s draft.
Buckley pointed out some analysts believe at the very least Hurts took himself from as fourth-round pick, to a second-round selection. The Las Vegas Raiders have three third-round picks, but none in the second. Is the team thinking about trying to package a few of those third rounders to move into the second and get Hurts?
That’s likely not a question Raiders fans are going to know until the day of the draft has arrived. Jalen Hurts isn’t sought after enough that they will need to make the move earlier than that. Then it’s all a question of whether Las Vegas believes he’ll still be around when they have a chance at him.
