Could Raiders Have NFL Draft QB Dilemma?

The Las Vegas Raiders may have a tough decision to make if they decide to select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The 2024 NFL Draft is fast approaching. 

The Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams that could be looking for a quarterback in the first round. Some teams, like the Chicago Bears and the Washington Commanders, will certainly select a quarterback, but there is some uncertainty about whether the Raiders will.

The Raiders got solid quarterback play out of Aidan O’Connell in his rookie season and brought veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew II as insurance for O’Connell. The Raiders are expected to have a competition to see who could start between those two players. 

However, there is a third option: the Raiders taking a quarterback and expecting to play that player during their rookie season. Would the Raiders go QB in round 1?

If they did, they would face the dilemma of which quarterback to take at No. 13 overall. The decision likely comes down to three players: LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.

Let’s evaluate each of those quarterbacks' fits in the Raiders’ organization. 

First, the Daniels fit seems fairly obvious. Coach Antonio Pierce is familiar with Daniels from their Arizona State days. Pierce recruited Daniels to the Sun Devils years ago and could be looking to reunite with him in Las Vegas. 

Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, finished a prolific season at LSU, throwing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns

However, the Raiders have a more difficult path to selecting Daniels. He is widely projected to go No. 2 overall to the Commanders. They would likely have to pay a hefty price to move into the top two or three to get him. 

McCarthy did nothing but win during his college career. He finished his time at Michigan with a 27-1 record and a national championship as a finale. 

The biggest question mark surrounding McCarthy is his lack of passing volume. McCarthy played in a run-heavy offense and only attempted 713 passes in his collegiate career. For reference, USC’s Caleb Williams attempted 1,099 passes, Daniels attempted 1,438 and North Carolina’s Drake Maye attempted 952.

McCarthy has impressive physical tools and could be a good scheme fit with Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, whose offenses have commonly pounded the rock in the run game. McCarthy could fit seamlessly in an offense where heavy play-action and run-pass options are prevalent. 

Finally, Penix was one of the most explosive quarterbacks in college football in each of the last two seasons. He threw for 9,544 yards, 67 touchdowns and just 19 interceptions in two years at Washington. 

However, there are many questions surrounding Penix’s abilities. He only attacks outside the numbers efficiently and does not throw over the middle of the field well. Penix also suffered two ACL tears in college. 

He will enter his rookie season at 24 years old.

Penix could benefit from a Raiders offense that is expected to run the ball often, and he could thrive with weapons like Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers in Las Vegas. 

If the Raiders want to take a quarterback in the first round of the draft, they will have to make a difficult decision about which one could change their franchise.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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