Looking around at recent NFL Mock Drafts, it is anybody's guess as to what Tom Telesco plans to do with his first-ever pick as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders. Telesco has a strong Day 1 draft history, something we cannot say about the previous two Raiders general managers, so it makes for an exciting couple of months leading up to the draft.
For the Raiders, the list of needs is long, but not as long as it has been in previous years. In fact, one could say that this roster is in much better shape than it has been going into an offseason in a long time, and Telesco has enough experience in the GM role to make things happen in trades, free agency, and especially the 2024 NFL Draft.
Over at Pro Football Focus, Dalton Wasserman put together a best-case scenario for each NFL team on draft day, and for the Raiders, it was an interesting assessment.
Solidifying the Raiders offensive backfield with Bo Nix?
For the Raiders, Wasserman dove into their issues at quarterback, a legitimate assessment of the Raiders needs going into this draft. He mentioned a possible Russell Wilson-to-Raider scenario, but also likes the team to use their first-round pick on the position group.
With the Raiders at No. 13, he listed Bo Nix as the ideal draft pick, and also stated the team needed to bolster the running back room if Josh Jacobs does not return.
Nix had a stellar season with Oregon last year, and if the Raiders do decide to run it back with Aidan O'Connell, he would be an interesting piece to put in that quarterback room. However, most of Raider Nation is hoping that the Raiders can somehow move up on Day 1, nabbing LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The problem is, the Raiders will have to leapfrog numerous teams looking for quarterback help, and may not be willing to send so many assets in hopes of moving up. If they stay put at No. 13, I could see them going with an offensive tackle or defensive player with the selection, but we will see what kind of show Nix puts on at the Combine before anointing him a Day 1 pick.