For the first time in nearly a decade, the Raiders will have a new Week 1 starting quarterback. Derek Carr has officially been released and the Raiders are searching for their next franchise passer.
The expectation for the last several weeks has been that the Raiders want to bring in a veteran quarterback, but the options seem to be dwindling. The most attractive option is Aaron Rodgers, but it’s not yet known if he wants to play in 2023 and the Raiders would still need to trade for him this offseason, even if he decides to return.
As we get further into the offseason, it seems more likely that the Raiders could draft their 2023 Week 1 starter. But is that still the most likely outcome?
In a recent article by ESPN, they predicted every team’s starting quarterback for the 2023 season. For the Raiders, it wasn’t a veteran passer as most people expect. Instead, it was Will Levis from Kentucky. Here is what Field Yates had to say about that projection:
“The Carr era is over, and Levis would provide coach Josh McDaniels the second chance in three years to develop a first-round quarterback — he worked with Mac Jones in New England in 2021. Levis had a tough final season at Kentucky, but his 2021 season was excellent. He displays plenty of quality traits to develop into a high-level starter in the NFL.”
Levis does feel like a great fit for the Raiders as he has the size and arm talent to take the offense to the next level. He still needs to show that he can improve his accuracy, but the physical traits and the physical toughness are certainly there.
Expect the Raiders to show a ton of interest in Levis over the next few months as he very well could be their Week 1 starter in 2023.