The Las Vegas Raiders have been linked in NFL rumors to a number of trade situations and quarterback prospects before of the 2024 NFL Draft. With Round 1 approaching on April 25, things could take another shift.
In early February, reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels was linked to the Raiders. Not only is the LSU Tigers quarterback one of the top players in the 2024 class, but he also has a great relationship with head coach Antonio Pierce from their time at Arizona State.
Las Vegas tested a number of trade-up scenarios to see if teams like as the Washington Commanders (second overall pick), New England Patriots (third overall pick), and Arizona Cardinals (fourth overall pick) would be ready to go down. However, it rapidly became evident that the cost of moving up was prohibitively expensive.
Soon after, there was more speculation linking Las Vegas to the second-tier quarterbacks behind Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy. There appeared to be genuine interest on the team’s part, leaving the door to the potential of Las Vegas dropping from 13th overall or trading back up from Round 2 into the back end of Round 1 to land their quarterback. Both options may now be considered.
During an appearance on NFL Total Access, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network speculated that the Raiders may have to move up in the first round to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. However, he might still be drafted 13th overall.
“He’s visiting the Las Vegas Raiders, which is noteworthy because they pick 13th. They could be in the running for a quarterback, and many people have speculated that the team could be moving up. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had to move up just a little bit, or even stay put.”
Penix Jr’s draft status is rising, and there looks to be an intriguing rationale for this. While scouts and talent evaluators handle the evaluation process throughout the regular season, coaches become involved beginning in late January. There is now talk of a rift among coaches and scouts regarding Penix Jr’s evaluation.
The Minnesota Vikings (11th overall pick) appear to be the most probable team to trade up for McCarthy, while the team that falls back into their original slot is unlikely to take a quarterback. That raises the potential of Las Vegas trading up to No. 11 overall, passing the Denver Broncos, for Penix Jr. For the time being, it appears that the Raiders will simply select him with their initial pick.
