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With a strong finish to the 2023 season and the addition of Antonio Pierce, there’s hope in Las Vegas. Josh McDaniels was not the answer, and he ended up getting canned. Pierce may not be the best X’s & O’s coach, but the Raiders love him as a leader, which is even more important. Even with a poor Raiders roster, Pierce led the team to a 5-4 record.

The Raiders have a good roster overall, but their Achilles' heel is the quarterback position. If the Raiders want to contend anytime soon, they have to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O'Connell. That said, the Raiders have a bunch of building blocks, such as Maxx Crosby, Michael Mayer, and Malcolm Koonce. Below, I break down what the Raiders need to do in the 2024 NFL draft to become real contenders.

NFL Draft Trade

Unfortunately, at pick 13, there wasn’t any one player that seemed like a smash pick, so it made sense to shop around. Two teams were interested in moving up: the Eagles and the Dolphins. In order to trade up seven spots and grab premier edge rusher Jared Verse, the Dolphins sent over a 2025 first-round pick. 

The Raiders had to give up pick 13, 77, a future fourth, and a fifth to make this deal work. That said, first-round picks are hard to come by, so this makes a ton of sense for the Raiders.

First-Round Pick: 21st Overall

The pick: Michael Penix Jr, Quarterback, Washington

After watching Aidan O’Connell and Jimmy Garoppolo last season, it’s clear that the Raiders need a new quarterback. The Raiders already have a good offensive line (#8 Week 18 PFF rank), which makes Michael Penix Jr the best pick. Although Penix isn’t very mobile, he’s one of the most polished passers in the 2024 draft class and should thrive behind a good offensive line.

These are the types of throws you look for from a draft prospect….

Impressive anticipation from Michael Penix Jr.! Can’t wait to dive into the film further

pic.twitter.com/UfJcmdaZbS

I understand that there’s a lot of recency bias because of how Penix played in the national championship, but that’s not a fair evolution. Penix didn’t play great, but he wasn’t getting any help, and Michigan was destroying the Washington offensive line. Penix was clearly playing through an injury for his team, which fits right into the Raiders culture. At Washington, Penix showed off his great arm talent, ball placement, and deep ball, which makes me confident he’ll succeed at the next level.

Second-Round Pick: 44th Overall

The pick: Patrick Paul, Offensive Tackle, Houston

The Carolina Panthers put on a masterclass of what NOT to do when drafting a quarterback. A big reason Bryce Young flopped as a rookie is because his offensive line was so bad (#28 Week 18 PFF rank). Although Kolton Miller was great, Jermaine Eluemunor was just slightly above average. The main concern is that Miller is 28 and Eluemunor is 29, which doesn’t bode well when you want to protect your franchise quarterback.

Every Patrick Paul 1-on-1 from the Senior Bowl pic.twitter.com/DpQIMtfIPT

Despite playing his full career at left tackle, Patrick Paul has great fundamentals and should adjust well to other positions with good coaching. Paul is an elite pass blocker, receiving the best pass block PFF grade (91.5) in college football last season. Paul has great awareness, athleticism and intelligence which is crucial for tackles. After taking Michael Penix in round two, Paul is the perfect pairing. 

2024 Las Vegas Raiders Three Round NFL Mock Draft

2024 Simulated 1st Round NFL Mock Draft