North Carolina's Maye Talks Raiders, Antonio Pierce
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of an exciting offseason.
A new era is beginning in Las Vegas as Coach Antonio Pierce looks to build and expand on the cultural and on-field success he found when he took over in an interim capacity in 2023.
Pierce pairs with General Manager Tom Telesco as the Raiders now try to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season. Part of that process will be evaluating every position on the roster and finding the best options for winning football games.
That could include a trade-up for a quarterback if the Raiders see fit. The 2024 NFL Draft is heavy at the top with excellent quarterback prospects, with the top three teams in the draft order needing to find their next franchise signal caller.
This being the case, the Raiders would likely need to swing a big trade to move up to one of the top spots if they want to land their guy, and the price could be steep.
One of those top quarterbacks could be Drake Maye of North Carolina. The 6-foot-4, 229-pound Maye said he has met with the Raiders, spoke in depth about how the meeting went and commended Pierce.
“It went well,” Maye said. “First, I want to congratulate Coach Pierce on what a great job he did this past year; so much respect for him for earning the right of the guys and the nod from the program. It’s a pretty cool experience.
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye has met with the Las Vegas Raiders and has respect for Coach Antonio Pierce.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
‘“It went well in there. Just getting to meet some of those guys and watch some film with me, some good plays, some bad plays, we got it all.”
Maye is widely considered one of the top three quarterback prospects in the class, along with Caleb Williams of USC and Jayden Daniels of LSU.
Maye completed 64.9 percent of his passes in his Tar Heels career for 8,018 yards, 63 touchdowns, with 16 interceptions. He was named Second-Team All-ACC in 2023.
Maye is a big-bodied quarterback with a strong arm and the ability to extend plays outside of the pocket.
If the Raiders want to select Maye, they might have to pay a heavy price to move up into one of the top three spots. However, if they feel like he is their answer at quarterback, the price might not outweigh the potential of winning.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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