The Las Vegas Raiders have gone through a roller-coaster 2023 NFL season. After beginning the year as one of the worst teams in the league with no hope in sight, Mark Davis decided to make major changes. He fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler and replace them with Antonio Pierce at coach and Champ Kelly at general manager.
While those two men are not guaranteed their jobs for the 2024 season, the Raiders seem likely to strongly consider keeping them around.
Since the move, the Raiders have looked like a completely different football team. They have been competitive and the mood within the organization has improved dramatically. However, in order to make sure that Pierce and Kelly stick around past this season, Las Vegas needs to find a way to finish out the year strong to force Davis’ hand.
One of the main question marks for the future outside of the coach and general manager situation is at quarterback. Aidan O’Connell has shown flashes of starting potential in his rookie season, but it hasn’t been consistent. Could the Raiders consider pursuing another quarterback during the offseason?
Raiders Connected To Intriguing 2024 NFL Draft Dual-Threat QB Prospect
Pro Football Focus lists the quarterback position as the biggest need for the Raiders. They believe that Las Vegas should and will look at options past O’Connell.
In their article, they pinpointed one 2024 NFL Draft prospect that the Raiders should consider. That prospect is LSU standout Jayden Daniels.
“Daniels is not only making a very strong case to be the Heisman winner in 2023 but also the No. 3 quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. The LSU star’s 8.4% big-time throw rate ranks third in the FBS, his 79.9% adjusted completion percentage ranks sixth and his 1.9% turnover-worthy play rate is tied for 11th. Daniels’ extensive experience may be highlighted during the draft process as a negative somehow — he’ll be 23 on draft night — but the opposite should be true.”
Daniels has put together a massive season for LSU. He has completed a sizzling 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. In addition to his numbers through the air, Daniels has carved up opposing defenses on the ground as well. He has racked up 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing.
The Raiders need more playmaking on the offensive side of the ball. That is exactly what they would be getting if they drafted Daniels.
Granted, there are some questions about Daniels’ game translating to the NFL. However, that has been the case for most dual-threat quarterbacks in recent years. Daniels has showcased an impressive arm in addition to his legs and would be well-deserving of the gamble for a team like the Raiders.
All of that being said, Las Vegas could simply stick with O’Connell and give him another chance at earning the long-term starting job in 2024. Or, they could pivot and bring in a quarterback like Daniels to compete with O’Connell and see who comes out on top in an open competition.