The Las Vegas Raiders have already had quite a busy offseason. They officially made Antonio Pierce their head coach, removing the interim tag from his title. Tom Telesco, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers, was hired as the team’s general manager to lead the front office. After talks with Kliff Kingsbury fell apart about becoming offensive coordinator, the team moved swiftly to hire Luke Getsy for the position.
With the coaching staff rounding into shape, it is time for the Raiders to begin evaluating the roster. One position they will likely look to upgrade this offseason is quarterback. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t in their plans after being benched in favor of fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell last season.
O’Connell had a few flashes, but there were also several underwhelming performances. He didn’t complete a pass after the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day and the Raiders were shut out once by the Minnesota Vikings.
NFL News & Rumors: J.J. McCarthy, Troy Franklin, 2024 NFL Draft, Las Vegas Raiders Updates
Of course, not all of that can be pinned solely on O’Connell, but he certainly played a part. If the opportunity to upgrade presents itself, Las Vegas has to think long and hard about pulling the trigger.
In the opinion of ESPN’s Matt Miller, that upgrade will come in the 2024 NFL Draft. In his recent mock draft, he has predicted the Raiders will select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 13 pick.
“The Raiders have a new general manager in Tom Telesco and must make finding a long-term quarterback the priority of the 2024 offseason (free agent signing Jimmy Garoppolo has not worked out). McCarthy, who started two years at Michigan, just turned 21 and has the requisite tools to be that player. He’s mobile and tough as nails, and scouts praise his arm strength and ability to make difficult throws in big situations. He has thrown only 44 touchdown passes in college to nine interceptions and compared to the other top quarterbacks in this class, he’s by far the least-experienced thrower. But his potential and ceiling have him worthy of a top-15 selection.”
For a young quarterback to succeed, surrounding him with weapons is a tried and true strategy. The Raiders have one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Davante Adams with Jakobi Meyers as their No. 2.
Tight end Michael Mayer looks like a long-term piece of the offense and they could bring back running back Josh Jacobs as well. But, Miller thinks they will continue bolstering their skill positions, nabbing Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin in the second round.
NFL News & Rumors: J.J. McCarthy, Troy Franklin, 2024 NFL Draft, Las Vegas Raiders Updates
“Let’s give new quarterback McCarthy some friends in the passing game,” Miller wrote. “Franklin is a vertical threat with awesome speed and a 6-foot-3 frame. He grabbed 14 touchdowns in 2023 and picked up 1,383 yards on 81 catches. With 31% of his routes classifying as deep routes, Franklin is ready to stretch the field in the NFL.”
Under Piece, the defense was excellent, but the offense left a lot to be desired. This direction in the 2024 NFL Draft would be a smart one to go in, providing that side of the ball with foundational pieces to build upon heading into the future.
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