Mel Kiper Now Projecting Jordan Love to Raiders as QB of the Future

Mel Kiper's draft predictions may not be the most popular, but he has ended up being one of the most accurate analysts in football in terms of predicting where players will be drafted over the last few years.

Kiper seems very bullish on former Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, and he's now predicting that Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders will select him in the first round of the upcoming draft, swiping him off the board well ahead of the Patriots' pick, per The Big Lead.

This seems like a bit of an odd fit at first glance.

While there is no denying Love's arm talent, the Raiders have Derek Carr entrenched as the starter, with Marcus Mariota available as a high-end backup. Love would likely start the year as the third quarterback on the depth chart in this case.

While the Raiders might be better served adding some new wide receivers or another playmaker in the secondary, Love's high ceiling could be just enough to entice Mike Mayock to use the No. 12 or No. 19 pick on him.

Love is the biggest wild card in this year's draft, but his potential is up there with anyone in this class, and that potential could be hard for any team without a franchise quarterback to pass up on.