Much of the conversation surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders and the 2024 NFL Draft has centered around the quarterback position, which is a major need for the team as it enters the first full year under head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco.
The Raiders did add Gardner Minshew in free agency to compete with last year’s starter and 2023 fourth-round pick, Aidan O’Connell, but the common thought is neither is enough to get the Raiders over the hump from a potential playoff team to a Super Bowl contender.
The latest on the quarterback front comes from Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, who once again reported on Monday that while Pierce wants trade up for LSU signal-caller Jayden Daniels, Telesco does not because of the cost. Pauline adds that Telesco is not against making moves in other spots, though.
In addition to that info, Pauline echoes other reports we’ve seen over the past week that the Raiders selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 13 overall is believed to be a real possibility in league circles. That has also been reported by The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and ESPN’s Matt Miller.
At this point, it seems much more realistic that the Raiders take Penix Jr. at No. 13 than being able to trade up for Daniels. There’s simply too much working against Las Vegas on the latter front.
Not only would the Raiders need one of the teams in the top three to pass on Daniels, they’d also likely have to outbid other quarterback-needy teams in front of them, like the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. The former owns a pair of first-round picks to offer in any deal.