Despite the temptation to trade up for LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, a new mock draft has the Las Vegas Raiders standing pat and taking another talented passer.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson predicts the Raiders will select Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the 13th overall pick of the draft.
“New head coach Antonio Pierce was in Baton Rouge last week to see Jayden Daniels (and some pretty good WRs),” Wilson wrote. “But instead, the Raiders stay put and take Michael Penix Jr. here at No. 13.”
Pierce recruited Daniels when he was a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Arizona State. At the annual league meeting in Orlando, he indicated the Raiders may consider trading up for a QB, perhaps the 2023 Heisman winner.
As of Tuesday, FanDuel lists Daniels and North Carolina QB Drake Maye as the favorites (+130) to go third overall to the Patriots. However, New England HC Jerod Mayo recently told the media it could trade this pick if someone offers a massive package.
Mayo’s claim could entice the Raiders, but they should exercise caution. Recent first-round trades for QBs have failed, and they were costly.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers dealt three first-rounders to take QB Trey Lance with the third overall pick. He completed 54.9% of his passes in eight games with the 49ers before they traded him to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-rounder in 2023.
Penix Jr. — who finished second in Heisman voting in 2023 — is a solid prospect. In his final season with Washington, the 23-year-old led the FBS in passing yards ( 4,903 in 15 games) and guided the Huskies to their second College Football Playoff appearance.
Even though Penix Jr. suffered season-ending ACL tears and shoulder injuries in his first four seasons at Indiana, he passed his medical exams at the scouting combine, via NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Taking Penix Jr. isn’t a bad idea. The Raiders need another quarterback besides Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II, and they don’t have to unload draft picks to land him.