NFL analyst doesn't think Raiders need to add a QB

The Raiders, in theory, are set at quarterback this year. Heading into the 2024 season, the roster consists of last year's starter, Aidan O'Connell – who's coming off an up-and-down season that saw him play well at times and not so well at others – and Gardner Minshew, who's OKish play earned him a Pro Bowl nod and a $25 million contract in Las Vegas. Rounding out the depth chart is Anthony Brown, who was on the Raven's roster before signing a reserve contract with the team back in January.

It's not a particularly inspiring group, especially as the team embarks on Year 1 of the Tom Telesco era. It's why they've been so often projected as taking a quarterback in this year's draft – they're probably not in range for the top three guys, but there are some intriguing options they could still pursue with their first round pick, 13th overall. Bo Nix, Michael Penix, and JJ McCarthy are all names that have floated around the Raiders in mock drafts this season, although all come with considerably more risk factor than either Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye.

One former NFL analyst, though, thinks that the Minshew/O'Connell duo is more than enough for them this year. While speaking on NFL Network late last week, Brian Baldinger argued that there's no point in taking a QB this season, considering where they're picking.

NFL analyst doesn't think Raiders need to add a QB

"There are two ways to do this," he said. "You can go get the quarterback, find the franchise guy, and build around him and never stop building. Or you can build up your roster. And when the time is right for that guy to come in, should O'Connell or Minshew not be able to do it, you got a good roster like San Fransisco had when Brock Purdy came in."

While there's certainly some validity behind that argument, it's hard to imagine Raiders fans being thrilled at the prospect of slowly building a team while they wait for the exact opportune moment to draft a future franchise QB. The 49ers certainly got lucky with the Purdy pick, especially since he's helped everyone forget about the year before, when the 49ers made a historically-awful trade for Trey Lance.

If Raiders fans should take anything from the 49ers situation, it's that it's smart to over invest in quarterbacks. And if that doesn't include Penix, Nix, or McCarthy this year, so be it – but it never hurts to take a guy in the later rounds and see if they strike gold. If starting Minshew has taught us anything, it's that your team is going to end up with seven wins and in that dreaded middle area of the first round. But since the Raiders pretty obviously know that neither Minshew or O'Connell is The Guy longterm, waiting around to see that again, without any real intrigue waiting in the wings, doesn't make a ton of sense.