Rumors Heating up Raiders Will Draft Michael Penix Jr.

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Antonio Pierce & Tom Telesco of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The 2024 NFL Draft has finally arrived and it’s starting to become more apparent which teams could add a quarterback. the Las Vegas Raiders have been linked to many quarterbacks this offseason and it’s still a real possibility they add one early.

LSU’s Jayden Daniels is the top priority but it looks like he’s set to go to the Washington Commanders at No. 2. The other quarterback who has most often been linked to the Raiders is Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. He should be available to the Raiders at No. 13 and according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr, Las Vegas has their eyes on Penix.

“The Washington quarterback is liked by several teams with picks in the teens, but I don’t think he’ll last past the Raiders at No. 13,” Kiper wrote in an April 25 column. “That’s a little rich for my tastes — he finished No. 24 on my Big Board — but there are several teams looking for their quarterback of the future in this class, and his accuracy, experience and moxie make him appealing.”

If it’s true that teams like Penix but he won’t last past No. 13, it’ll be interesting to see if teams try to leapfrog the Raiders. However, that seems unlikely considering some mock drafts have the quarterback lasting until the second round. It’s always difficult to gauge wear the second-tier quarterbacks will get drafted.

Daniel Jeremiah Agrees Michael Penix Jr. Ends up in Las Vegas

Mel Kiper Jr. isn’t the only insider expecting the Raiders to take Michael Penix Jr. In his final mock draft for NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah projects the team to select Penix at No. 13.

“I’ve been connecting Penix to the Raiders for more than a month now,” Jeremiah wrote in an April 24 mock draft. “I think they’ll try to move heaven and earth to go get Jayden Daniels, but with no deal coming to fruition, Penix offers a clear upgrade over the quarterbacks they currently have on the roster.”

Now, the Raiders could be putting the Penix rumors out there as a smokescreen to perhaps make it seem like they’re not interested in another prospect they’d like to draft. That said, the team really needs a quarterback and Penix may end up being the best one available at No. 13.

Michael Penix Jr. Believes He Should Be Top-10 Pick

The big knocks on Michael Penix Jr. are that he’s going to be 24 when the season starts and he has a concerning injury history. Outside of that, he boasts elite athletic traits and has a cannon for an arm. He’s also proven he can be very accurate on downfield passes.

While some believe he’s not even worth a first-round pick, he believes that he should be one of the first 10 players taken.

“I do feel like I should be,” Penix told TMZ in an April 25 interview. “I have the potential to be. But like I said, it’s out of my control. Wherever I go, I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Anything can happen on draft night but Penix moving up into the top-10 seems like a longshot. That wouldn’t be good value for him but it’s looking like there’s a really good chance he’ll be a top-20 pick.

Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd