Getty Raiders GM Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce
Already here in22024, the Raiders quarterback room is greatly improved, with the exorcism of deadweight backups Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer and the addition of Gardner Minshew in free agency. Raiders incumbent Aidan O’Connell returns, and while he showed some promise, he would have to beat out Minshew for the job, which is no guarantee.
In fact, it is no guarantee that the Raiders will start the 2024 season with either O’Connell or Minshew under center. There’s still the small matter of the draft, and there have been repeated rumblings about the desire of Raiders brain trust Tom Telesco and Antonio Pierce to move up from the No. 13 spot and get one of the top passers in what is a deep quarterback draft.
Team insider Vincent Bonsignore, not one given to hyperbole, even has what he dubs a “bold” prediction on the subject: The Raiders will open with Michigan national champ J.J. McCarthy as the No. 1 QB in September. That would, indeed, be bold, as McCarthy’s showing at the combine last month in Indianapolis has him projected to go as high as No. 6 in some mock drafts.
Raiders Would Have to Move Up for JJ McCarthy
Writing in his mailbag on Saturday, Bonsignore noted that the Raiders would have to get aggressive if they feel that McCarthy is their guy. The Raiders have eight picks in the upcoming draft: their first-rounder is No. 13, they have No. 44 in the second round, No. 77 in the third round, No. 112 in the fourth round and No. 148 in the fifth round. They have three picks in Rounds 6 and 7, all higher than No. 200.
Moving up from No. 13 would likely cost the Raiders their first-rounder and second-rounder in 2024, plus next year’s first-rounder. Here’s how Bonsignore sees it:
“It still feels as if the Raiders have a move up their sleeve, especially after coach Antonio Pierce indicated his preference for being aggressive to get players.
“It takes two — maybe three, in this case — to tango in terms of making a trade to move up in the NFL draft. But just making a bold guess, let’s go with J.J. McCarthy, followed by Aidan O’Connell. Gardner Minshew would be waiting in the wings in case the rookie isn’t ready to start immediately.”
Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell as Backups?
McCarthy had an excellent year with the Wolverines, throwing for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns with four interceptions. There were some questions about him because Michigan had a grinding style in which they won with defense and a strong running game.
But he has a background in winning: Michigan was 37-3 during McCarthy’s tenure and he was 26-2 as the starting quarterback in high school.
If the Raiders move up for a quarterback, it will likely relegate both O’Connell and Minshew to backup roles. If McCarthy is the pick, he would have to struggle badly in camp to lose the job.
Still, even with the hype seemingly pushing McCarthy up draft boards, most scouting reports suggest he has a way to go.
From Pro Football Focus’ scouting report: “McCarthy comes from a pro-style offense. As a first-time starter in 2022, he struggled to get off his primary read, fell for sim pressures and didn’t have good instincts when pressured. In 2023, all of that improved, though that improvement needs to continue.
“His arm talent is good, both for velocity and natural accuracy. However, he does need to continue to get stronger to get his arm talent to an NFL level. His throwing motion is clean and efficient, from his footwork to his follow-through. You won’t build a rushing attack around his mobility, but he is a good athlete who is a threat on RPOs and scramble plays.”
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