The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2024 NFL draft looking for a quarterback, although the team wasn't as interested in trading up for a signal-caller as it initially seemed.
"Everything else was smoke and mirrors," a Las Vegas team source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "We weren't going to reach or overpay for a QB. Never was a worry and nothing frantic."
Fowler noted that the Raiders "explored" a potential move into the top three in order to select a quarterback, with former LSU passer Jayden Daniels emerging as "the most viable candidate" to be picked by the team if a trade was completed.
Daniels previously played three seasons at Arizona State before he joined the Tigers, spending time with former Sun Devils defensive coordinator and current Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce. Per Fowler, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner "had shown interest" in reuniting with Pierce in Las Vegas prior to the draft.
However, the Raiders stood pat at No. 13 after six quarterbacks were selected with the first 12 picks. Las Vegas took Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, while Daniels went to the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 overall choice.
After the draft, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco told reporters that he did not pursue a trade-up "particularly hard" in the first round (via Fowler).
With Las Vegas choosing not to trade up, the team will enter training camp with a quarterback battle between 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell and veteran Gardner Minshew. O'Connell started 10 games for the Raiders as a rookie, while Minshew was signed as a free agent after registering 13 starts for the Indianapolis Colts.
