LSU Tigers product Jayden Daniels is easily one of the biggest prospects gearing up for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback-needy teams like the Las Vegas Raiders should have eyes on the talented signal-caller, but he's likely gone by the time most teams get their turn to announce their pick, a scenario that's very much likely for the AFC West division franchise, as noted by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“I think Jayden Daniels would have a high level of interest in the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Las Vegas Raiders would have a high level of interest in Jayden Daniels, but there’s one problem, the Commanders have the second pick,” said Schefter during a recent episode of The Adam Schefter Podcast.
“I think Jayden Daniels is going to be somebody that really appeals to them, as he would a lot of teams as talented as he is, and it’s hard for me today, today to see Jayden Daniels sliding much past pick number two,” Schefter added.
There is a solid connection between Daniels and the Raiders, who own the No. 13 pick in the first round of the upcoming draft. Long before he became head coach of Las Vegas, Antonio Pierce served as a recruiting coordinator for the Arizona State Sun Devils and helped the school bring Daniels over the program.
“Everybody was like, what are you doing with this little skinny dude from San Bernardino?” Pierce said during last March's NFL Combine, referring to the reaction he got when he recruited Daniels to Arizona State (h/t Vic Tafur of The Athletic).
Several years later, Daniels and Pierce could potentially find themselves in the same boat again, this time in the pro ranks. Notwithstanding the seemingly long odds of such a reunion to take place in 2024, it is still worthwhile to imagine what the outlook would be like for the Raiders should they somehow end up landing Daniels in the draft.
In five years in college, Daniels racked up 1,2750 passing yards and 89 touchdowns against 20 interceptions on 66.3 percent completion rate.
Raiders quarterback situation
Las Vegas' quarterback room is far from inspiring. The Raiders currently have Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, and Anthony Brown as their quarterbacks. O'Connell had his moments under center for the Raiders in his rookie season in 2023, especially when Jimmy Garoppolo got benched, but his floor and ceiling look limited.
Minshew has solid experience as a starting quarterback and can be a dependable asset, but he's not someone viewed with the potential to become a franchise cornerstone.
Neither O'Connell nor Minshew is a safe bet to take the Raiders into an elite offensive machine after ranking just 23rd and 27th in the NFL in 2023 in terms of scoring offense and total offense, respectively.
Jayden Daniels potential 2024 NFL Draft landing spot
Caleb Willams is widely expected to go to the Chicago Bears as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, while the No. 2 pick, which is currently owned by the Washington Commanders, could end up being used to select either Drake Maye or Daniels. If the Raiders want to get Daniels, the only plausible way to do it in the draft is by trading up because he's not sliding all the way down to No. 13.
If the Commanders pass up on Daniels, that could be terrific news for the New England Patriots, who are third in the overall draft order.
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