It’s time for the Las Vegas Raiders to get aggressive and go after their quarterback of the future. New general manager Tom Telesco and coach Antonio Pierce don’t necessarily have to be in a rush, but they can’t afford to stand pat at the game’s most important position — that is, if they’re serious about competing in 2024.
Aidan O’Connell is a good guy to have in the quarterback room, but he’s not the long-term answer. And, outside of Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, the veterans on the free-agent market aren’t that attractive.
While it may be difficult for the Raiders to get in position to draft a top-tier quarterback prospect, it isn’t impossible. According to team and league sources, the Raiders have been exploring trading up in the first round of the draft. So coming out of the combine, The Athletic stepped into Telesco’s shoes to take a shot at pulling that off.
Before the draft started, I reached out to the Tennessee Titans and swung a deal. I sent pick No. 13, pick No. 77 and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Titans in return for pick No. 7. That put me in better position to land a quarterback, but I knew I had more work to do to get the player I wanted.
Once the draft began and the Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams (USC) at No. 1 and the Washington Commanders selected quarterback Drake Maye (North Carolina) at No. 2, I gave the New England Patriots a call. The Patriots weren’t sold on the quarterback options available and wanted to trade back, but they still wanted to stay in range to draft one of the elite receiver prospects. So I sent pick No. 7, a 2025 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick to the Patriots for pick No. 3.
Altogether, I paid a pretty penny to move up to No. 3 — a first- and third-round pick in 2024 and a first-, second- and fourth-round pick in 2025 — but I felt it was worth it to land a quarterback with star potential. Here’s who I drafted, plus the rest of my selections in a seven-round mock draft:
Round 1, Pick 3: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Pierce recruited Daniels out of high school and worked with him for three seasons at Arizona State. Their long-standing relationship doesn’t guarantee Daniels will pan out. But that familiarity does have value when it comes to integrating the quarterback into the Raiders’ culture under Pierce, bringing the coaching staff up to speed on what makes Daniels tick and helping put him in a position to succeed. Pierce knows Daniels on and off the field, and that goes a long way.
Daniels probably needs to bulk up at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, but he’s a tough player and displayed the speed, quickness and athleticism to pull away from SEC defenders at LSU. He has a good arm and possesses the touch, accuracy and fundamentals to make on-target throws at all three levels of the field. His dual-threat ability should make him a strong fit for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s run-first, play-action-heavy system.
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The Raiders have to improve their offensive line and make a decision about running back Josh Jacobs, but Daniels would have at least a solid supporting cast. Receivers Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker make up one of the better pass-catching trios in the league, tight end Michael Mayer could be primed to make a big jump in his sophomore season and running back Zamir White showed toward the end of last season he could be ready for a larger role. Daniels would be in a solid situation to excel as a rookie.
Jayden Daniels on his meeting with Raiders and old friend Antonio Pierce: pic.twitter.com/1dUbENziyU
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) March 1, 2024
Round 2, Pick 44: T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
Pierce said the Raiders “would love to get some bad-ass dudes — heavy-handed and physical,” on the interior of their defensive line, and few players in the draft encapsulate that more than Sweat. He’s one of the biggest players in the draft at 6-4, 366 pounds, and has the strength to match his size. He’s a space eater in the run game but also has the explosiveness, hand skills and athleticism to shed blocks and create disruption. He hasn’t shown much in terms of getting after the quarterback — he had just five sacks in five seasons at Texas — and needs to develop sharper overall technique to increase his value as a three-down defensive lineman.
For the Raiders, Sweat would fit best as a replacement for nose tackle John Jenkins, who’ll be 35 this season and is set to test unrestricted free agency next week. Sweat could potentially be a starter as a rookie and has the potential to be an impact player if he’s able to improve his pass-rush skills.
Round 4, Pick 113: Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest
The Raiders feel good about cornerback Jack Jones and nickelback Nate Hobbs as starters, but the other starting outside corner role is up for grabs. Amik Robertson held down that spot for most of last season, but he’s set to become a free agent next week. Jakorian Bennett showed promise as a rookie and started early in the season, but he struggled to stay healthy, appeared to lose confidence and fell out of the rotation later. It would be surprising if the Raiders didn’t add a veteran cornerback in free agency. But even if they do, it could remain a position they’d target in the draft.
Carson is well built at 6-foot, 199 pounds, has good athleticism and speed and brings plenty of experience to the table as a player who had a significant role in all four of his seasons at Wake Forest. He had average ball production in college but was consistent in coverage. While he struggled to stay healthy in 2021 and 2022, he missed just one game last year. He has the traits to eventually be a starter in the NFL, but he should at least be a useful member of a cornerback rotation.
Round 5, Pick 147: Sataoa Laumea, G, Utah
Starting Raiders center Andre James, right guard Greg Van Roten and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor are hitting free agency. Even if they bring back one or two of those players, the Raiders need some help on the offensive line. If left guard Dylan Parham transitions to center as expected, they’ll need to come away with a pair of starting-caliber guards and a starting-caliber right tackle. That could come in free agency but, much like their need at cornerback, they’re likely to double down in the draft.
At Utah, Laumea started at right guard in 2020 and 2021 before transitioning to right tackle and starting there the past two seasons. He’s probably best at guard given his build (6-4, 311 pounds) and average athletic traits, but he could see time at both positions for the Raiders. He may not be ready to start as a rookie, but he could grow into a larger role.
Round 6, Pick 210: Cody Schrader, RB, Missouri
Whether or not the Raiders bring back Jacobs, they’ll need to add to the running back room this offseason. As it stands, White and Brittain Brown are the only two running backs under contract for 2024. Schrader began his college career at Division II Truman State. After four seasons there, he transferred to Missouri as a walk-on in 2022 and earned a role as the starting back. He was solid that season but broke out in 2023 with 1,627 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s small at 5-8, 202 pounds and isn’t a particularly dynamic athlete, but he’s a decisive runner, strong blocker and solid receiver who seems like a fit as a third-down back in the NFL.
— Cody Schrader (@codyschrader_7) March 4, 2024
Round 7, Pick 221: Garret Greenfield, OT, South Dakota State
Greenfield was a two-year starter at right tackle in 2020 and 2021 before switching to left tackle the last two seasons. He has NFL size at 6-foot-6, 311 pounds, and is a good athlete. He needs to clean up his footwork, hand placement and balance, however, to have a shot of making it at the next level. He could work as a swing tackle in training camp and compete for a practice squad role with the Raiders.
Round 7, Pick 225: Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame
The Raiders don’t need much linebacker help with Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo and Luke Masterson in tow, but they could always use more special-teamers. Liufau was a two-year starter at Notre Dame, has decent size at 6-2, 234 pounds and plays with constant effort. He could prove useful as a rotational linebacker, but special teams feels like the role he should be aiming for as a rookie.
Round 7, Pick 227: Jaylen Harrell, edge, Michigan
There’s no such thing as too many pass rushers. The Raiders will primarily lean on Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson, but they could still add sub-package rushers to the rotation this offseason. At 6-4, 250 pounds with good athleticism — but only average strength and pass-rush moves — that’s likely what Harrell will be as a pro. He was a two-year starter at Michigan and led the team with nine tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in helping them to a national championship last season. He’d be a strong addition to the practice squad.
(Photo: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
2024-03-07 19:14:29
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