The Raiders interest in the quarterback prospects for this year’s NFL draft remains at the forefront as evidenced by their meeting with Central Florida’s Blake Bortles on Monday.
Bortles is regarded by many as the top quarterback prospect in next month’s draft. The Raiders currently hold the rights to the No. 5 pick, which means Bortles might be gone before the Raiders first selection rolls around.
Then again, it’s possible that Bortles slips past the first four teams and the Raiders get a shot at a player that some view as the beat all-around quarterback from a group that includes Johnny Manziel, Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, Jimmy Garoppolo, Tom Savage and Zach Mettenberger.
The Raiders attended the pro day and/or had in for a visit the aforementioned quarterbacks. Manziel and Savage met with Raiders top brass in Alameda last week.
It’s enough to make a convincing case for the Raiders using at least one of their draft picks on a quarterback, even though they already have four on their roster – Matt Schaub, Trent Edwards, Matt McGloin and Terrelle Pryor.
The Raiders aren’t tipping their hand. Quite the contrary. They are checking out in depth a slew of quarterbacks, with some not slated to go until the second, third or fourth round.
Bortles simply is the latest quarterback summoned to Alameda for a closer look, as first reported by NFL Network. The Raiders attended his pro day last month and invited him to Alameda on Monday for a more in-depth look.
The Raiders used a fourth-round pick on Tyler Wilson in the 2013 draft. Wilson got cut twice by the Raiders before he signed with the Tennessee Titans. Pryor arrived via a third round pick in the 2011 supplemental draft. McGloin signed as an undrafted free agent last season.
Teams are permitted as many as 30 visits with prospects in advance of the draft. On Monday, the Raiders also hosted Vanderbilt wide receiver Jordan Matthews, per NFL.com.
