Conflicting Rumors on Raiders QB Draft Plans Emerge

Getty Antonio Pierce & Tom Telesco of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t shy about the fact that they’d like to add a young quarterback but haven’t exposed what exactly their plan to get one is. The team doesn’t pick until No. 13 so getting one of the top prospects will likely require a trade-up.

According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, that’s exactly what the team wants to do.

“The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback was a fourth-round draft pick a year ago and wound up starting 10 games,” Tafur wrote in an April 11 column. “The team finished the season winning three of its last four games under interim coach Antonio Pierce, with O’Connell throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

“But the first thing anybody mentions when it comes to the Raiders and the upcoming NFL Draft is their need for a quarterback. … The Raiders have the 13th pick and would like to trade up.”

LSU’s Jayden Daniels is likely the team’s desired target considering his previous relationship with head coach Antonio Pierce. Pierce was his recruiting coordinator at Arizona State. The draft is getting closer and there isn’t much time for the Raiders to pull off a trade but the situation is worth watching.

ESPN Says Las Vegas Raiders Prefer OL or CB

While Vic Tafur is reporting that the Raiders want to trade up for a quarterback, ESPN’s Jordan Reid believes the team is targeting other positions.

“Yeah, expect offensive line or cornerback at No. 13 overall,” Reid wrote in an April 11 column. “At Alabama’s pro day last month, Pierce seemed to be keeping a close eye on Terrion Arnold, who would give Vegas a shutdown corner on the outside. But sources with the team have also suggested to me that the Raiders could add another tackle to pair with Kolton Miller. Taliese Fuaga is a natural match based on the hole at right tackle and play style, but don’t dismiss JC Latham at this spot, either.”

Now, if the Raiders stay at No. 13, taking a quarterback could be a reach depending on who is still available. The team does have needs at cornerback and offensive line so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team favor those positions than reaching for the fifth or sixth-best quarterback in the draft. Also, the price to trade up will be steep so the Raiders could prefer to keep their picks and build out the rest of the roster.

What Should Las Vegas Raiders Do?

The Raiders haven’t used a first-round pick on a quarterback since JaMarcus Russell in 2007. Prior to that, the team last used a first-round pick on a quarterback with Todd Marinovich in 1991. Considering those two players are all-time draft busts, it’s easy to see why the Raiders haven’t been eager to draft quarterbacks early.

That said, the Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since 2002 and much of that has been due to lackluster quarterback play. At a certain point, the team is going to have to take a swing on a quarterback. The Raiders aren’t going to go far in an AFC that is loaded with elite quarterback talent with Gardner Minshew running the offense. Perhaps if the team was in the NFC, they’d be able to get away with average quarterback play but that’s not going to work in the AFC.