Getty LSU QB Jayden Daniels.
If Antonio Pierce is able to become the full-time head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s difficult to know how he’ll attack an offseason. One position the team has to get right is quarterback. Aidan O’Connell has shown flashes but his lack of mobility makes it risky to pencil him in as the starter for next season.
Heisman Trophy-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has been rising up draft boards and the Raiders are a team to watch for him due to his ties to Pierce. He was a coach and recruiting coordinator at Arizona State while Daniels was there prior to transferring to LSU.
Out of every team in the NFL, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report believes that the Raiders are the best fit for Daniels as long as Pierce is the head coach next season.
“Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce served as Arizona State’s recruiting coordinator when they brought in Daniels,” Sobleski wrote in a December 22 column. “He understands what Daniels is made of and knows the potential he brings to the table.
“The Raiders are 3-3 since Pierce took the reins. He may be a good bet to keep the job. If he does, Daniels would be the perfect franchise quarterback to draft.”
Even if Pierce doesn’t get the full-time job, Daniels could be a quarterback that the Raiders could take a close look at.
Scouting Report on Jayden Daniels
Heading into the 2023 college football season, Jayden Daniels wasn’t thought to be in the running to be a first-round pick. He had a breakout season and scored 50 combined touchdowns.
According to a December 20 scouting report from Bleacher Report Scout Derrik Klassen, Daniels has to work on being a quarterback but his athletic ability makes him a special prospect.
“As a processor, Daniels isn’t on par with North Carolina’s Drake Maye or USC’s Caleb Williams, but you see real moments of NFL vision, timing and footwork over the course of a game,” Klassen wrote.
“Oh yeah, Daniels is also a special athlete for the position. He could run a legit 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, with plenty of wiggle to create in the open field. Daniels should be more careful as a runner, but we’ve seen players get better in that area as they mature, a la Kyler Murray.”
Teams are starting to take more risks on quarterbacks who have bigger upside. Daniels might have the highest ceiling of any quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
Jayden Daniels does a good job evading the pressure, and gets off a really nice throw on the run for the TD.
Would Las Vegas Raiders Draft Jayden Daniels?
The Raiders are going to undergo some big changes this offseason even if Antonio Pierce is named the head coach. While Aidan O’Connell has shown flashes, he was brought in to play in Josh McDaniels’ offense. Whoever the next offensive coordinator is could have a completely different offensive philosophy.
The Raiders haven’t used a first-round pick on a quarterback since 2007 and it might be time to change that. The team hasn’t had an elite quarterback since Rich Gannon in the early-2000s. Las Vegas can’t get a top-two draft pick this year so they won’t be in the running for Caleb Williams or Drake Maye if they trade up. The next best option is Jayden Daniels and the Raiders would be wise to do what they can to get him on the team, especially if Pierce gets the head coaching job.