Las Vegas Raiders 2024 NFL Mock Draft: A franchise QB at No. 3 overall?

The Las Vegas Raiders have gotten off to a 1-3 start to the 2023 NFL season, and some fans have already turned their attention to next year's draft class. While it may be way too early to start that kind of conversation, the truth is, if they do not turn this thing around soon, it may be too late to make a playoff run.

This offseason, the Raiders made a big move at the most important position in sports, replacing nine-year starting quarterback Derek Carr with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo. There were a lot of reasons for the move, as Josh McDaniels and Carr never really saw eye-to-eye, and Garoppolo is someone McDaniels has won with in the past.

However, with Garoppolo comes the fear of injury, and through the first four weeks of the season, he has already missed time. In his place, the Raiders turned to rookie Aidan O'Connell against Los Angeles last Sunday, and the kid played well, rushing for a touchdown in a 24-17 loss to their division rival.

While O'Connell could be the long-term solution in Las Vegas, one media publication recently posted a 2024 NFL Mock Draft, and it has the Raiders turning the page at the position next April.

Raiders select UNC QB Drake Maye with pick No. 3 overall in recent mock

In a recent 2024 NFL Mock Draft by Chris Trapasso over at CBS Sports, the Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 3 overall pick, and use it on a quarterback. That quarterback is UNC star Drake Maye, who has dominated the college football landscape since his freshman year with the Tar Heels, and seems destined to be a high pick in next year's draft.

Maye threw 38 touchdowns against only seven interceptions in his full season as a starter in 2022, and has followed that up with decent start in Year 2. While his TD-to-INT ratio is 5-to-4, he is completing over 70 percent of his passes, and has thrown for nearly 1,200 yards in four starts this season.

The young signal-caller also has great size, standing 6-foot-5, and is coming off a season that saw him win the ACC's Player of the Year honor. If the Raiders season goes off the rails, Raider Nation will be clamoring for the team to draft a quarterback next April on Day 1, and you could do a lot worse than Maye.