The 2024 NFL Draft is two months away, and as we prepare for the NFL Combine, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders. The biggest question is whether or not Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco will trade up on Day 1 for a quarterback, something that has been the subject of conversation for some time now.
The problem with the Raiders getting an elite quarterback in this year’s draft is where they select, as they currently hold the No. 13 overall pick. We have gone through a ton of trade scenarios to get them where they want to be if they want to select a player like Jayden Daniels, but how realistic is that really.
Over at CBS Sports, a mock by Tom Fornelli has many teams trading up for a QB on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, but the Raiders are not one of them. The mock is an interesting one, as Fornelli likes Caleb Williams to go No. 1 overall to Chicago before Atlanta trades up to select Jayden Daniels.
The Minnesota Vikings then trade up to No. 4 to get Drake Maye, replacing Kirk Cousins, a player some would like to see end up in Las Vegas. Finally, Pittsburgh moves up to No. 9 overall to select J.J. McCarthy, as the selection of Williams at No. 1 overall makes the Bears a trade partner.
This would be a scenario that would have Raider Nation fuming on draft night.
Staying at No. 13, the Raiders select Terrion Arnold from Alabama, a guy who a lot of experts believes would be the pick for Las Vegas if they stay put. Arnold is a physical cornerback who could slide in and help the Raiders right away, but drafting him would not bring the kind of excitement to the team that a quarterback would.
Overall, we will have to wait and see what the plan will be for Tom Telesco in Year 1 as general manager, but all of this movement on Day 1 could force his hand to move up. Of course, if Daniels is the guy, and he is gone by No. 2, I could see the Raiders staying put, rolling with Aidan O’Connell or even Cousins in 2024.
Time will tell.
