The Las Vegas Raiders went into the 2024 NFL Draft with a obvious want at quarterback, a actuality widely known and anticipated to be addressed with a decisive transfer. Regardless of head coach Antonio Pierce’s hopes and pre-draft statements about being aggressive within the quarterback hunt, the Raiders discovered themselves unable to execute their plan.
The draft’s dynamics quickly shifted with surprising picks and trades, beginning with the Atlanta Falcons, who, regardless of having just lately secured quarterback Kirk Cousins with a considerable contract by 2025, selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on the eighth general choose. In the meantime, coveted QB prospects like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye have been off the board throughout the first three picks, additional tightening the competitors for top-tier quarterbacks.
The Raiders’ incapability to commerce up for a quarterback like Jayden Daniels, who was taken second general by the Washington Commanders, was a major setback. Normal Supervisor Tom Telesco admitted post-draft that the workforce had thought-about transferring up however discovered the market circumstances unfeasible, describing their efforts as not “significantly arduous.” This strategic determination left the Raiders with no new quarterback within the early rounds as the primary twelve picks included six quarterbacks, finally making the price of buying and selling up prohibitively excessive.
Odds Transfer Barely
In accordance with Oddschecker, the lengthy odds of the Las Vegas Raiders successful the 2025 Tremendous Bowl have moved solely barely following the primary three days of the 2024 NFL Draft, from +8000 to +8500. The workforce’s incapability to safe a high-profile quarterback to deal with their most urgent want has left oddsmakers and bettors skeptical about their quick prospects for important enchancment. This stagnation in odds displays a broader sentiment that whereas Bowers could improve the workforce’s offensive capabilities, the quarterback place, essential for a deep playoff run, nonetheless lacks a long-term answer.
Shifting Focus
With quarterback choices dwindling, the Raiders shifted focus and chosen Brock Bowers, the top-ranked tight finish within the draft, with their first-round choose. Bowers, a standout from Georgia, is a two-time John Mackey Award winner and had an distinctive school profession that guarantees important quick affect. Whereas not a standard blocking tight finish, his versatility and prowess within the passing recreation have been too compelling to go up.
The importance of a premier tight finish has been underscored by the performances of tight ends like Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Sam LaPorta in current convention championship video games, highlighting the function a top-tier tight finish can play in a workforce’s success. Bowers’ addition, subsequently, may very well be a silver lining for the Raiders, bringing a dynamic offensive weapon to the roster. Nevertheless, the query of who will throw him the ball stays urgent.
The Raiders will probably rely upon Gardner Minshew II, a stop-gap quarterback signed within the offseason, as they proceed to guage their long-term choices on the place. Whereas they missed out on securing a rookie quarterback to develop, securing Bowers offers a beneficial asset for whoever finally takes over because the Raiders’ future quarterback, making certain that the brand new signal-caller has a high-caliber goal from the get-go.
