This offseason has been a wild one for the Las Vegas Raiders in terms of the quarterback room. We have already seen both Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer released, leaving the team with only Aidan O'Connell as the guy who started at the position for them last season.
Las Vegas did do a good job in filling the position group in free agency, however, as they added Gardner Minshew to the roster this March. Minshew is coming off a fantastic year in Indianapolis, and fits the mold of an old-time Raider, but is a two-man race for the starting job going to be the only way the starting position gets figured out this offseason?
The 2024 NFL Draft is only a month away, and there have been more than enough rumors circulating that the Raiders plan to trade up in the first round. Holding the No. 13 overall, the top-3 quarterbacks are likely out or their reach, but Michigan's JJ McCarthy could be someone they could trade up for when all is said and done.
McCarthy had an excellent final season with the Wolverines, leading them to an undefeated season and a national championship, but is he worth trading away key assets for in April?
Raiders should look to stay at No. 13 if they cannot trade into the top-4
Looking at the teams ahead of Las Vegas in the 2024 NFL Draft, Tom Telesco will have some heavy lifting to do if he hopes to get one of the top-3 signal-callers in this year's class. In addition, he would have to send away significant draft capital just to get McCarthy, who is now being rumored as a top-6 pick himself.
While McCarthy was stellar at Michigan, he does not project as high as Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels coming out of this year's draft class. If the Raiders are smart, they would look to stay with the No. 13 overall pick, bringing in help for the defensive backfield or up front along the offensive line.
These things are never a perfect science, and McCarthy could certainly come into the league and dominate, surpassing the guys picked ahead of him this April. However, he is a bit of a Wild Card right now, and this regime cannot afford to swing and miss in the first round, which has been the case in years past with other general managers.