Nothing is off the table for the Las Vegas Raiders with six days until the 2024 NFL Draft begins.
With the eight selections they presently have, they’ll be seeking to strengthen the roster in each of the three game phases. From a talent standpoint, this draft class appears to be among the strongest in recent memory, providing the chance to address a variety of needs.
Let’s examine certain position groupings that the Raiders might consider drafting in the upcoming week.
Quarterback
The Raiders’ quarterback situation has been the subject of the most discussion.
Along with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II, who both had successful seasons with their college teams last year, head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco may add to the quarterback room in the draft.
Jayden Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner, is the Raiders’ most intriguing quarterback prospect. Daniels powered LSU’s No. 1 scoring offence in the previous season. He was recruited by Pierce and played three seasons at Arizona State, where he threw for over 6,000 yards and 32 touchdowns before transferring to LSU. The Raiders would need to trade a significant amount of draft assets in order to position themselves to select Daniels, who is anticipated to be a top-five pick, even though a Daniels-Pierce reunion could be desirable.
Heisman finalists Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr., who are both coming off outstanding senior seasons, might be more realistic choices with the thirteenth overall pick. While Penix led the country in passing yards (4,903) and assisted the Washington Huskies in winning a Pac-12 Championship and making it to the CFB National Championship game, Nix topped the country in completion % (77.4) and passing touchdowns (45).
The Raiders still have a number of choices in later rounds, including dual-threats Joe Milton from Tennessee and Michael Pratt from Tulane, as well as South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, should they decide not to select a quarterback in the first round.
Reversing course
The position at running back has the potential to be the most valuable in this draft. Analysts haven’t graded any rushers as early picks, but a number of them guys have the potential to be starters for their next team.
Josh Jacobs’ free agency signing with the Green Bay Packers puts the Raiders in a great position to add another running back in the draft. In the backfield, “the more the merrier” may be the motto for the Silver and Black, who may be preparing to partner with players like Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, and Alexander Mattison.
The top running backs in the draft class are Will Shipley of Clemson, Trey Benson of Florida State, and Jaylen Wright of Tennessee. After transferring from Oregon, Benson burst onto the scene in 2022, scoring 23 touchdowns on the ground in his two seasons with the Seminoles. Wright has over 1,000 yards rushing for the Volunteers in 2023. Top-tier speed is also possessed by Benson and Wright, as seen by their sub-4.40 40-yard dash times at the NFL Combine.
Regarding Shipley, he is possibly the most adaptable running back available in the draft class; he reminds me a bit of a young Christian McCaffrey who was drafted out of Stanford. In his three seasons with the Tigers, Shipley not only amassed 2,748 rushing yards and 31 ground touchdowns, but he also recorded over 600 receiving yards and 85 receptions. Throughout his collegiate career, he averaged about 27 yards per return on kick returns, making him an excellent special teams player for Clemson.
offensive line
You can never be too far down in the trenches, in my opinion.
The offensive line is riddled with more unknowns than the defensive line, which is strengthened by a number of stars, up-and-coming talent, and veteran forces. A few strong starters from the previous campaign are back on the offensive line, but swing tackles Jermaine Eluemunor and Brandon Parker have left to join NFC clubs. Furthermore, the remainder of the team is made up of players that are relatively young, with the exception of Cody Whitehair, a free agent, and the returning starters.
By adding some offensive line talent through the draft, the team may be able to add competitive and trustworthy choices to the roster before Training Camp. At number 13, the Washington Huskies’ Troy Fautanu, a native of Las Vegas, or Talise Fuaga of Oregon State are the top choices.
If the Silver and Black decide against going offensive line in the first round, there is more than enough quality to make up for it in subsequent rounds. Players like Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, Duke’s Graham Barton, the first-team All-ACC tackle from Duke, and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson have won the Rimington Trophy.
Regarding the offensive line class, Pierce reportedly remarked, “There are some big boys now.” “Oh my God, that tackle group—like you’re talking about a bunch of trees strolling around at these pro days and the Combine. It’s quite amazing.”
Cornerback
If the Raiders can choose the correct cornerback in the draft, their secondary might improve from excellent to outstanding.
After combining for three interceptions and twelve pass deflections in 2023, Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs have the potential to emerge as the best cornerback tandem the following season. Jakorian Bennett, a fourth-round selection, is also primed to improve going into his sophomore campaign. But with Tyler Hall and Amik Robertson gone, the Raiders may be looking to add a cornerback the next week.
Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold are excellent choices for cornerbacks if the Raiders decide against selecting an offensive lineman or quarterback in the first round. Mitch has established himself as one of the best Group of Five talents in his draft class, recording 45 pass deflections and six interceptions while attending Toledo. Running a 4.33 40-yard dash at the Senior Bowl and the Combine, he showed off his skills even more.
This offseason, Pierce and Arnold have spoken multiple times; the Raiders head coach visited Alabama’s Pro Day, and the Raiders staff had an interview with the wide receiver at the Combine. In 2023, the dynamic cornerback recorded 12 pass deflections and five interceptions.
“When he first arrived to the Combine, he was a little slack, so I was like, ‘Hey man, where’s the juice?’ and we had some great chats. “I heard you had some drama going on,” Pierce remarked during the Annual League Meeting. Then, on the day of the draft, we spent our time chatting about baseball and getting to know him better as a person since you never know what will happen during the process.
“When you look at this draft, you do see a bunch of talented DBs who I think can come in and play right away.”
