The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2024 NFL offseason wanting to find a better-starting quarterback option for next season than Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O’Connell. While one experienced starter has been brought in, many are still keeping an eye on the 2024 NFL Draft.
In the first wave of NFL free agency, all of the top available quarterbacks came off the board. The Atlanta Falcons took themselves out of the mix for a top rookie quarterback, signing Kirk Cousins. However, that created a dire need for a signal-caller for the Minnesota Vikings.
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Far more importantly, there’s now more clarity on how the top of the 2024 NFL Draft will likely unfold. Quarterbacks are presumed to be the first three picks, with Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels all likely to be selected by the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots.
It means the best Las Vegas, Minnesota or the Denver Broncos can do is presumably Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy. To land him, however, that will require trading up into the top 10 picks. In a recent mailbag, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated addressed the Raiders’ efforts to move up and the likelihood of Las Vegas executing a trade.
“Yes, the Las Vegas Raiders have had exploratory talks on moving up into the top three. Will they do it? I don’t think the first three picks will wind up being traded, and, after you get past that, it depends on the team’s evaluation of McCarthy (and maybe a couple others). And from there, it depends on whether it gets to the point where the former Michigan QB won’t make it to No. 13 (which is certainly possible). We’ve still got a long way to go.”
Albert Breer on whether or not the Las Vegas Raiders had explortatory trade talks about moving up
There are two issues for Las Vegas. Firstly, both Minnesota (11th overall pick) and Denver (12th overall pick) are ahead in the 2024 NFL Draft order. Far more importantly, the Vikings recently acquired a second pick in Round 1 (23rd overall) from the Houston Texans.
Realistically, trading up for McCarthy appears less likely for Las Vegas with the Vikings viewed as the favorites to acquire him. However, the Raiders might’ve already prepared themselves for that outcome by signing Gardner Minshew. While he wasn’t promised to be the Raiders starting quarterback in 2024, a deal worth $15 million fully guaranteed over two years suggests that’s the likely outcome.
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