Multi-Million QB Player Aidan O’Connell Had A Strong Tackle And Loses His Breath Causing A Controversial Thoughts From Fans, Raiders’ In Lost….

The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t shy about the fact that they’d like to add a young quarterback but haven’t exposed what exactly their plan to get one is. The team doesn’t pick until No. 13 so getting one of the top prospects will likely require a trade-up.

According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, that’s exactly what the team wants to do.

“The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback was a fourth-round draft pick a year ago and wound up starting 10 games,” Tafur wrote in an April 11 column. “The team finished the season winning three of its last four games under interim coach Antonio Pierce, with O’Connell throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

“But the first thing anybody mentions when it comes to the Raiders and the upcoming NFL Draft is their need for a quarterback. … The Raiders have the 13th pick and would like to trade up.”

“But the first thing anybody mentions when it comes to the Raiders and the upcoming NFL Draft is their need for a quarterback. … The Raiders have the 13th pick and would like to trade up.”

“One thing about him that separates from the rest is his ability to run,” Pierce said during his March 25 media availability. “He can run, run. He can run like that in the SEC and put up those kinds of numbers. I think that translates very well.”

While Pierce focused on Daniels’ rushing ability, he was also prolific as a passer having thrown 40 touchdown passes last season.

Antonio Pierce Reveals Original Recruiting Pitch to Jayden Daniels

Jayden Daniels was one of the first big gets that Antonio Pierce had at Arizona State. He wasn’t able to have sustained success for the Sun Devils but finally reached his potential with LSU. Arizona State hasn’t been one of the best football programs so Pierce revealed how he was able to get Daniels to commit.

“I thought he would be a Heisman winner. I did,” Pierce said. “That was my recruiting pitch to him. I just thought it would be where I was at previously [at Arizona State].”

Pierce was eventually right about Daniels’ potential and he’s now set to make a lot of money in the NFL.

Antonio Pierce Says ‘Everything’s on the Table’

The Raiders aren’t in a position to grab one of the top quarterback prospects this year but that could change. Antonio Pierce knows how important it is to find a franchise quarterback and is willing to consider all of his options.

“I think everything’s on the table,” Pierce said. “Whatever makes the Raiders better, I’m all for. When I say I’m a go-getter, meaning whatever it takes to win, whatever it takes to get the best player to make our team the best, that’s what I want to do and that’s what I’d like to see us do.”

Pierce has a singular focus on winning and wants to do whatever he can to make that happen.

“I’m always going to be aggressive,” Pierce said. “I want to win. That’s just in my nature.”

Though Jayden Daniels is the obvious fit in Las Vegas, there are several strong quarterback prospects. It sounds like Pierce would be happy if he could end up with any one of them.

“I don’t think you can go wrong with this year’s draft,” Pierce said.

The Raiders have other needs and could kick the quarterback issue down the road but it sounds like they will explore their options.

The 2024 NFL Draft is fast approaching with rumors continuing to connect the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos among the teams that could move up for a quarterback. However, there appears to be another club that could make a big move on draft night.

The first three picks in Round 1 are widely believed to be quarterbacks, with the Chicago Bears drafting Caleb Williams first overall followed by Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels landing with the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots. After the top three picks, though, everything could get hectic.

Both the Arizona Cardinals (fourth overall pick) and Los Angeles Chargers (fifth overall pick) are open to trading down, which creates a path for teams like the Vikings, Raiders and Broncos to move up for someone like J.J. McCarthy. However, there seems to be another team believed to be desperate to upgrade over its current starter.

During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema mentioned the New York Giants as the second-likeliest team who could move into the top four to land a quarterback. While the Minnesota Vikings were the obvious first choice, Sikkema highlighted the Giants’ “desperation” as a reason to keep an eye on them.

New York would also be uniquely positioned to swing a deal with Arizona or Los Angeles in comparison to the Vikings, Raiders and Broncos. While the Giants don’t have two 2024 first-round picks like Minnesota, they can offer the Cardinals or Chargers the opportunity to just move down to the No. 6 overall pick. From the perspective of Arizona and Los Angeles, that would mean gaining draft capital and still landing a blue-chip talent who might be the highest-rated player on the team’s draft board.

Of course, the Giants’ roster has a lot of existing holes at running back and wide receiver heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. If it’s ultimately determined that there isn’t a strong enough supporting cast in New York to help build around a rookie quarterback, the Giants’ front office might ultimately stand pat and try to snag a quarterback like Bo Nix or Spencer Rattler on Day 2.