Raiders Land ‘Most Polarizing’ QB in 2nd-Round of….

The Las Vegas Raiders‘ 3-1 record to end the season likely put them out of reach to land one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft unless they trade up

However, the cost to trade up could be steep.

Instead, the Raiders may want to wait until later in the draft to take a swing on a high-upside prospect. In his latest mock draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler believes that Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will fall to the second round and that Las Vegas will select him with the No. 44 pick.

“Probably the most polarizing quarterback in the draft, Penix was an outstanding college passer, but there are several areas of his game (and medical history) that complicate his projection,” Brugler wrote in a January 16 mock draft. “The Raiders shouldn’t be giving up on Aidan O’Connell, but they need to add new life to the quarterback room and see how it plays out.”

Penix is a difficult player to get a gauge on as he could easily be a first-round pick. Over his last two seasons at Washington, he went 25-3 as a starter and threw for 9,544 passing yards with 67 touchdowns. He’s got a big arm and is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the class but there are some red flags.

Why Would Michael Penix Be Available in 2nd Round?

Following Washington’s College Football Playoff win over Texas, it looked like Michael Penix had played himself into a top-five pick. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sustain the success against Michigan in the National Championship game and his stock has dramatically slopped.

The biggest red flag with Penix is his injury history and age. He had four seasons in college that ended in season-ending injuries, including tearing his ACL twice. He will be 24 when the 2024 season starts so it’s fair to question if he has much room to grow.

Now, Penix could be the most NFL-ready of any prospect. He’s played in a lot of big games and he was healthy during his two years at Washington. An early first-round pick might be risking a lot but taking a chance on him in the second round could pay off in a big way. If the Raiders can’t trade up in the draft but want a quarterback, getting Penix in the second round would be a reason for excitement.

There are many directions the Raiders could go with their first-round pick but Dane Brugler believes Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham will be the pick.

“Especially with a regime change, quarterback is the Raiders’ main question mark,” Brugler wrote. “But is there one worth reaching for here?

“Raiders fans scarred by the Alex Leatherwood pick might not want another Alabama offensive lineman in the first round, but Latham is probably the strongest player in the draft. He has the functional movement skills to play either tackle or guard at a high level.”

The Raiders would be wise to try and upgrade their offensive line. Center Andre James is a free agent and could move on. That would lead to guard Dylan Parham sliding to center but then that would open up another need. Considering Latham can play guard or tackle, he could be a logical player for the Raiders to target in the first round.