Raiders Draft: Las Vegas will have their work cut out for them trading up on Day 1
By Brad Weiss
New general manager Tom Telesco is taking over a talented Las Vegas Raiders roster, but one that needs some serious help on both sides of the ball. Telesco will have a strong set of assets to work with, however, as the Raiders have good salary cap space, and some high-level selections in the 2024 NFL Draft.
One position group that continues to be brought up this offseason is quarterback, where the Raiders will be looking to upgrade the position over the next few months. They have a capable starter in place in Aidan O'Connell, but team owner Mark Davis made it a point to discuss the position with potential GM candidates during the hiring process.
The key for the Raiders this April will be moving up from No. 13 overall, and giving themselves a shot to draft one of the top-3 signal-callers in this year's draft class. To do so, Telesco will have to send away a lot of premium assets, and with so many quarterback-needy teams ahead of them in the first-round, it is going to hard to pull off.
According to Ian Rapoport, the task with be a tough one:
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay: The #Raiders want to be aggressive, but trading up for a QB will be a real challenge; Aaron Rodgers has been recruiting Davante Adams, but the #Raiders don’t plan on trading great players; The #Bucs plans for Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans. pic.twitter.com/5pH8f1kFNw
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 11, 2024
Raiders looking to add to the QB room in a big way this offseason
Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels are going to be the first three quarterbacks off the board this April, and Daniels is the one that many feel Antonio Pierce has his eyes on. The two have a long relationship, and after the season finale victory against Denver, Daniels was in the locker room with team.
Daniels' draft stock has rocketed since taking home the Heisman Trophy, and depending on what mocks you read, he is considered a top-3 pick. For the Raiders to move up ten spots and put them in position to get Daniels, you are looking at multiple early-round picks in 2024, and more first-round picks down the line.
Telesco has made some strong draft day trades in the past, and is a seasoned general manager, so hopefully all of his experience will help him navigate what will be one of the more important Raiders offseasons in a long time.
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