While the Aaron Rodgers watch kicks off with the Las Vegas Raiders, members of Raider Nation know the NFL is a chess game and the future depends on stockpiling young talent. They are more concerned and excited about who the team will build around five or even 10 years from now. If the Raiders trade for Rodgers in a win-now move, getting a young heir-apparent might not be a top priority.

But the Raiders should not go after Rodgers and instead opt to look toward the future. They should do whatever they can to make it possible to select Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Stroud has been making waves in college football and is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft. In this post, we will explain why Stroud is the best quarterback available in the 2023 draft and why he would be a perfect fit for the Raiders and head coach Josh McDaniels.

C.J. Stroud’s impressive college resume

First, let’s look at Stroud’s college career. At Ohio State, Stroud displayed that he is a cerebral quarterback with a strong arm and phenomenal accuracy. In his junior season, he completed 66.3% of his passes for 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions.

These numbers are impressive and demonstrate that Stroud has the skills to be a successful NFL quarterback, which is why he is considered a high first-round draft pick in April.