Getty Image / Kevin Sabitus
The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, and franchises are looking for ways to remake their franchises for the better. One of those franchises in need of a big reboot is the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders have been looking for a franchise quarterback to stick for a decade since the days of Ken Stabler. They currently hold the 13th pick in the first round next Thursday night, and they’ll have an interesting choice to make.
The 13th pick is probably not good enough to draft one of the second tier quarterbacks in the class in LSU’s Jayden Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye, or Michigan’s JJ McCarthy. That puts them in a tough spot.
New Head Coach Antonio Pierce, who served as the interim after they fired Josh McDaniels last year, and new GM Tom Telesco definitely do want to solve the quarterback position. They’re in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, after all. So, maybe they trade up from the 13th pick into the top seven or so and try to get a quarterback that way.
But, that’s going to come at a high cost and they will likely be bidding against other teams. So, they could reach for a tier 3 quarterback at pick 13. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tayfur, those rumors are heating up.
The whispers are getting louder that the Raiders just might take Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. here. Penix’s stock has risen since he had clean medicals at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Tayfur notes that he thinks that would be a reach, given that Penix has some mechanical issues to fix up. But, those rumors are out there.
The other big concern on Michael Penix Jr. is his age. He will be 24 years old by the time the season rolls around, so it’s fair to question if there’s much improvement that can even be done. Still, the former Indiana quarterback was very productive this year. He threw for 4,900 yards and 36 touchdowns against 11 interceptions while taking Washington all the way to the National Championship Game.
Penix’s best trait is probably his touch on intermediate and deep throws. He knows how to layer throws effectively with trajectory. I’m not sure how well that pairs with Davante Adams, who likes to do a lot of his work underneath.
Currently, the starter is Aidan O’Connell, who they took in the fourth round last year. He started ten games and had 2218 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
It won’t be long until we find out what direction the Raiders want to go.