The Raiders wisely decided to bench Jimmy Garoppolo in the middle of the season, opting for rookie Aidan O’Connell instead. That allows the franchise to get a good look at their fourth-round pick to see if he could be the eventual answer at QB.
O’Connell has had his ups and downs, but it would be a stretch to believe that he could be a high-end starter in the NFL. Instead, he projects as a low-end starter or elite backup. And that is perfectly fine, considering where the Raiders selected him.
So that leads to the question: will the Raiders draft a quarterback in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft? In a recent article by ESPN, Jordan Reid wrote about the possibility of the Raiders taking a quarterback high in next year’s class:
With both coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler out of the door, there are still questions about the next front office, and that could direct a lot of this. The Garoppolo contract was an obvious mistake, but luckily for the Raiders, he isn’t owed any guaranteed money after 2024.
Looking to trade him is an option that Vegas could explore, as some teams could be in the market for a backup or bridge starter. That’d open the door for a QB pick here, as teams routinely reach a little bit to get a Round 1 passer when it’s a big need.
The 2024 draft class is loaded with quarterback talent and it would be wise for the Raiders to take one early. Caleb Williams (USC) and Drake Maye (UNC) are expected to be the first two quarterbacks off the board, but J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) and Jayden Daniels (LSU) could both be selected inside the top 10.
Even if O’Connell improves and plays better in the season’s final six games, look for the Raiders to do their due diligence with all of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
