Which Senior Bowl quarterbacks could entice Raiders in draft?

MOBILE, Ala. — New Raiders general manager John Spytek said the club will leave no stone unturned in its search for a long-term answer at quarterback.

That means checking out this week’s Senior Bowl, where seven prospects are trying to impress NFL evaluators.

This group looks light on impact players, which lines up with the overall narrative with this year’s quarterback class. Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Cam Ward of Miami, no sure things themselves, are the headliners. Things drop off after them.

Sanders and Ward are not at the Senior Bowl. That means some of the quarterbacks that are, like Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss and Jalen Milroe of Alabama, have a chance to improve their stock at the event. They have one more practice Thursday and a game Saturday to show they should be selected high in the draft.

Right now, the two don’t look like first-round selections. That means they could be in play for the Raiders, who hold the sixth overal pick and may be unable to draft Sanders or Ward. The team could instead look at Dart or Milroe in the second round.

Dart, in particular, could be a good fit in Las Vegas. He has a live arm and still has plenty of time to develop at 21 years old.

It doesn’t hurt that Dart grew up in Utah and was a high school teammate of Raiders offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson, the team’s second-round pick a year ago.

“I would love that,” Dart said. “That’s my boy. It would be amazing. And we could also be close to home.”

‘Lazy narrative’

One of Dart’s challenges this week is proving he’s not just a product of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s quarterback-friendly offense.

Dart, listed at 6-foot-2, 226 pounds, threw for 10,617 yards and 72 touchdowns in three seasons with the Rebels. But there are questions on how steep his learning curve will be when he reaches the NFL.

He called that “a very lazy narrative” Wednesday. He believes he’s being lumped in with his predecessor Matt Corral, who played in more of a college-style spread offense under then-offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Dart’s offensive coordinator was Charlie Weis Jr., who gave Ole Miss’ offense a more pro-style feel.

“Their philosophies are very different,” Dart said. “So there’s a misconception about the Ole Miss offense and all that’s required from the quarterback position.”

Dart does have plenty of attributes that should draw teams to him, from his toughness to his accuracy.

Milroe struggling

Milroe has arrived as advertised in Mobile.

There are moments when the 6-foot-1, 220-pound prospect flashes a big arm capable of making impressive throws. He’s also struggled with short and intermediate passes that require precise timing.

His athletic ability is not in question after he ran for 1,257 yards the past two seasons. But he needs to show more polish and touch as a passer.

Milroe, 22, still has the kind of mental makeup and work ethic worth betting on if a team believes he can improve. He completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023, so the ability is there.

Other QBs

The other Senior Bowl quarterbacks are Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Memphis’ Seth Henigan, Louisville’s Tyler Shough and Canadian prospect Taylor Elgersma.

Each has had moments in Mobile, but all have areas of their game they can refine.

Leonard, who led the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff national championship game, is a big, physical athlete with a plus arm. The 22-year-old could be a worthwhile investment for a team willing to develop him. One evaluator compared the 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect to former NFL quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Leonard has a lot to learn, though. He’s taking snaps under center at the Senior Bowl for the first time.

“I’ve never really taken an under-center drop,” Leonard said. “And I only had one day to prep for it. But I look at that as good. I have one day to prove to everybody I can adapt and change mechanics to whatever offense I’ll be in.”

Gabriel was measured at 5-foot-10, 202 pounds at the Senior Bowl, so there are concerns about his size. It is hard to overlook his production, as he had 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns with the Ducks last season.

His height also doesn’t hold him back from putting plenty of zip on the ball.

“For a 5-10 quarterback, he has excellent arm strength,” an NFL scout said. “You don’t see that very often.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.