Over the past week, the buzz attaching Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching job has seemingly grown by the day. On Wednesday night, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport cited multiple categories of people around the league who see Johnson as a practical lock to end up with the job.
It's an easy reflex to lament the quality of the Raiders' head coaching job, but there is plenty to like about the situation if you choose to see it. In a big picture sense there's a proverbial "carte blanche", with a new general manager also coming (perhaps of Johnson's choosing?), plenty of cap space and four of the first 73 picks in April's draft.
The No. 1 concern in Las Vegas is the lack of a viable quarterback. Aidan O'Connell is low-end starter/high-end backup at best. They are unlikely to get someone like Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward with the sixth overall pick in the draft, and overall it's not a great draft class to need a quarterback. They have won just enough games the last two seasons to take them out of the being able to get a top-tier quarterback prospect.
When it comes down it, no stone should go unturned by the Raiders to add a quarterback or two to the depth chart this offseason. If Johnson becomes head coach, it will critical to find one who could stick around for awhile sooner rather than later.
Ben Johnson may have a sneaky quarterback plan if he becomes Raiders' head coach
On Wednesday's episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast, Sports Illustrated Raiders insider Hondo Carpenter touched on the team's quarterback situation as they move through the process of hiring a head coach.
Carpenter entertained Johnson's tie to a certain quarterback.
"Ben Johnson is clearly their no. 1 target....what would you trade for a Hendon Hooker?” Carpenter said. “He’s got a couple years experience in the Ben Johnson system, so he comes in… and competes and you could still go draft a guy. You still have Aidan [O’Connell] there, so he instantly competes.”
“[Hooker] already knows the Ben Johnson system and what if you get him for a second, or whatever you get him for", Carpenter said. "I think that’s fascinating. I don’t think it’s getting enough attention so I’m throwing it out there… I think that’s a very viable option for the Raiders. I’m not in any way reporting it’s done. Detroit would have to want to do the deal, but I think if the Raiders were to get Ben Johnson, and he’s clearly the front runner… I think it's is a real possibility and I did not come up with that on my own.”
If not for suffering a torn ACL playing for Tennessee late in his final college season, Hooker would have been drafted higher than the third round of the 2023 draft. He spent his rookie season working his way back from that injury, and this season has gotten a little bit of work (33 snaps) in three blowout wins as the backup to Jared Goff.
From the Lions' perspective, Hooker is 27 years old with no viable path to overtake Goff as their starting quarterback anytime soon. If the Raiders offered a second-round pick for him, and as Carpenter noted it'd be a high second-rounder (No. 37 overall), they should make deal without another thought. The Lions don't have a third-round pick in this year's draft, so maybe (more realistically) they could get one in a trade for Hooker.
If Johnson becomes the Raiders' head coach and he wants to bring Hooker to Las Vegas, the Lions should be a more than willing trade partner.