The Raiders could still be considering picking a quarterback early in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Oakland is “super impressed” by Ohio State signal-caller Dwayne Haskins, according to a report from CBS Sports.
The Raiders have three first-round picks in next week’s draft and reportedly visited with both Haskins and former Oklahoma star Kyler Murray — who won last season’s Heisman Trophy — late last month.
Despite those meetings, Oakland is still not expected to select a quarterback in the first round, according to an earlier report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and it would be a “shocking pivot” if it did. Yet, there appears to be a chance the team would be interested in picking Haskins in the right situation.
The Raiders had reportedly been shopping incumbent starter Derek Carr. But, coach Jon Gruden said last month that wasn’t the case.
“He's going to be our quarterback," Gruden told NFL Network. "I'm not going to address all the rumors. I could care less about the rumors. … I've got a lot of confidence in Carr.”
Carr completed 68.9 percent of his passes and threw for 19 touchdowns, along with 10 interceptions, on a Raiders team that struggled in 2018.
Oakland, however, made major upgrades to their offense, including trading for disgruntled Steelers receiver Antonio Brown as well as signing wideout Tyrell Williams and offensive lineman Trent Brown.
Carr and the former Pittsburgh star have spent time working out together this offseason.
“I think he’s hungry for success, hungry for turning the organization around, hungry to get on the winning side of things,” Brown said about Carr. “I’m hungry for the same thing. I think we stand for the same causes: God-fearing men, family-first type of people, and we just want to be the best at our craft of putting in work, in the meetings (and) on the field.”
Gruden left the broadcast booth and signed a 10-year, $100 million contract with the Raiders in January 2018. Oakland finished with a 4-12 record during his first season with the team.