Yes, draft season is over … sort of. In actuality, draft season is never over.
We now turn our attention to the 2020 NFL draft to see how the draft-eligible players have improved as of late. A lot can certainly happen in the next 11 or so months, but teams have many paid employees who are already deep in their evaluations for the upcoming draft class.
The 2019 Oakland Raiders will be a tough team to forecast. There has been a lot of turnover on the roster already. Many needs have been addressed, improvements have been made, and talent has been added. What will it amount to? Nobody knows for sure, but there is a lot of reason for some guarded optimism in the upcoming season.
The Raiders have added a future Hall of Fame wide receiver in Antonio Brown, who is still in his prime. They’ve added a premier vertical threat in Tyrell Williams, who is barely cracking his prime years. They’ve added a premier right tackle in Trent Brown, who gives them flexibility on the offensive line.
Oakland drafted the best running back in the 2019 class in Josh Jacobs, who has an insanely low amount of mileage on his body considering his draft pedigree. The Raiders also drafted a slot weapon in Hunter Renfrow, who could start right away in three-receiver sets.
They’ve fortified the defense on all three levels, and the overall talent level is shockingly better heading into 2019 than it was at this time last year.
The one position that seems to be unsettled moving forward happens to be the most critical position on the field: quarterback.
Derek Carr is the incumbent. He was a player that showed tremendous potential early on in his career. Over his first three years, he averaged 3,731 yards, 27 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. He’s shown great pocket presence, coupled with above-average mobility, a strong arm, and a bulldog mentality.
The last two seasons, however, have been different for the former second-round pick. He just hasn’t taken the next step. The numbers don’t look bad, but he has been unwilling to regularly challenge defenses downfield. He far too often has settled for his first read at or near the line of scrimmage. Carr hasn’t moved outside of the pocket as much and extended plays.
So, the big question is, how much of that is on the fact that Carr has had a weak supporting cast? That’s what this upcoming season will determine. Nobody can say head coach Jon Gruden, general manager Mike Mayock, and the rest of the Raiders front office hasn’t made every effort imaginable to surround Carr with as many weapons as possible.
But, if Carr doesn’t take the next step, there are potentially four quarterbacks in the 2020 draft class that the Raiders would undoubtedly be aggressive in pursuing. They will heavily rely on their scouts to determine if Carr or a potential draft pick is the best option to lead the franchise moving forward.
Let’s take a look at a few quarterbacks the Raiders could consider drafting in 2020.
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Tua has taken the sports world by storm since the 2018 National Championship game. Coming in at halftime, he led a major comeback against Georgia to give Nick Saban and Alabama another championship. He was nothing short of amazing.
The (relatively) diminutive lefty has a semi-unorthodox delivery. He does not have a classic high release, which could cause some worry at the next level, especially when coupled with being shorter than your standard NFL signal caller. But, he has above-average arm strength, mobility, and ball placement. There isn’t a throw he cannot make.
Tagovailoa is the clear favorite to go No. 1 in the 2020 NFL Draft as he already has one impressive collegiate resume. With the expected improvements to the Raiders’ roster this offseason, I do not expect them to be in a position to land Tua, even with an aggressive trade.
Justin Herbert, Oregon
Herbert opted to stay in school rather than enter the 2019 NFL Draft. He has a huge arm, is an excellent athlete, and is a playmaker, plain and simple. He also has the prototypical size for the position.
However, he can get careless with the football, and his ball security is questionable. He certainly has all of the tools necessary to be a star at the NFL level, but he also has a wide range of outcomes. The spread offense at Oregon hasn’t translated well for past quarterbacks, such as Marcus Mariota.
While Herbert certainly could land in the top-five picks, he also could fall. This is one of the three quarterbacks I expect to be heavily in consideration for Oakland come 2020.
Jake Fromm, Georgia
Fromm had a fantastic freshman year in leading Georgia to the national championship where he played quite well. He has excellent size, a smooth delivery, above average accuracy, and absolute confidence in himself. He seems to have divided opinions about his future, but I believe he has a legitimate chance to become a superstar at the NFL level.
He doesn’t run often, but he has adequate athleticism and awareness to extend plays and get to his third or even fourth read. Another big season could certainly have Fromm in position to be the first signal caller selected next season.
Jacob Eason, Washington
Eason is a transfer from Georgia. After having a better-than-solid freshman campaign, he lost his job to Fromm. NFL teams are sure to have taken notice that he was unwilling to battle Fromm to keep the position, but it may work out well for both.
Eason has a huge arm but has been inaccurate at times. The similarities to Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford are evident. Stafford also struggled with accuracy in college, despite his colossal arm and being picked first overall in the draft. A big year from Eason could boost his stock tremendously, but another year without taking the next step could drop him out of the first round.
Again, while we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves and miss the 2019 season, NFL teams are already establishing their draft boards for the future. These four quarterbacks are going to get an extra long look from all NFL teams as potential franchise cornerstones.
If you are concerned, frustrated, or not sold on Carr, give yourself a chore on Saturdays this fall and watch each of these future first-round picks.
