Raiders meet with Utah State QB Jordan Love at Senior Bowl

MOBILE, Ala. — As the Raiders approach a critical offseason, they are insisting they will evaluate every position with an open mind. As general manager Mike Mayock said this week at the Senior Bowl, that includes quarterback.

“Every year I’m going to evaluate every position,” Mayock said. “And if we think we can improve that position, we will. And if we think we can’t, we won’t.”

No surprise then that the Raiders have kept a sharp eye on the quarterback prospects in Mobile this week, including Utah State standout Jordan Love, who put on a show Wednesday in his second day of workouts with the South team. He showed off a live arm, firing accurate passes all over the field.

He’s obviously caught the attention of the Raiders.

Love said on Wednesday that he’s met with team officials this week and seemed more than open to the idea of playing for the Raiders in Las Vegas. “I’d love to play for that organization if they drafted me,” Love said.

Love is certainly making a case for himself as one of the top three or four quarterbacks in the draft. He took a big step forward on Wednesday against some of the best senior prospects in the country. His arm action and athletic ability have drawn comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes. But he wasn’t as productive and efficient in 2019 as he was in 2018, and the NFL is curious to figure out why.

Love threw for 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns against just six interceptions as a redshirt sophomore last season to plant himself on the NFL radar. But he followed up with 17 interceptions this year against just 20 touchdown throws.

According to a high-ranking NFL team talent evaluator, Love’s drop in numbers was partly attributable to a big turnover in offensive personnel at Utah State between 2018 and 2019 and an attempt by Love to do too much as a result.

It’s a lesson Love appears to be heeding.

“You gotta push the ball downfield to make those big throws but also be smart with it,” Love said. “You don’t have to force every throw. I’ve learned a lot. Every interception, for me, that’s a learning moment. Obviously, I had 17 learning moments last season. It’s something you can go back and watch film on and learn from.”

Love’s play this week could move him into the top half of the first round, and perhaps give the Raiders something to think about.

Mayock’s frankness in leaving no stone unturned while trying to improve the Raiders, coupled with the proactive approach the team has taken in evaluating the top quarterback prospects isn’t exactly a vote of confidence for incumbent Derek Carr.

But it also isn’t a criticism either. Mayock is pragmatic about the job he’s paid to do, which is to improve the Raiders’ roster. “At the end of the day, we have to do what’s best for our organization,” he said.

That leaves little room for sentiment.

“I don’t think you have to give anybody a vote of confidence, at any position,” Mayock said. “We live in a Darwinian world in football. And if we can get better at any position, we will.”

That doesn’t mean the Raiders are itching to get rid of Carr, who Mayock heaped praise on for the strides he took in year two under Jon Gruden. Carr threw for more than 4,000 yards and completed more than 70 percent of his passes.

But if the evaluation process leads the Raiders to a quarterback they believe is better than Carr, they won’t hesitate to make a change.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.