The Las Vegas Raiders finding a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft is the hottest topic surrounding the team going into the three-day event, but should Oregon quarterback Bo Nix be on the Raiders' list of targets?
According to Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine, he should not be, at least in the first round. Ballentine lists Nix as the one NFL Draft prospect the Raiders should avoid.
Here's some of what he had had to say about that:
Nix is already 24 years old, so it's fair to wonder if he's reached the peak of his development. His accuracy is nice, but his ceiling isn't as high as some of the other quarterback prospects in this year's draft.
The Raiders are the quarterback-needy team that's best suited to take a patient approach. They would be better off riding out a year of Gardner Minshew at quarterback than reaching on Nix at No. 13
Without question, the Raiders should not be targeting Nix at No. 13. Chances are he'll be around later in the first round or even into the second. If Las Vegas wants him in Round 1, they should be able to trade back out of No. 13 and still land the Oregon product. I could also see a trade up into the late first round, although that isn't preferred.
Another signal-caller who is likely to be in that second tier of quarterbacks with Nix is Washington's Michael Penix Jr., who has been linked to the Raiders via mock drafts and speculation. Like Nix, Penix Jr. has met with Las Vegas in a 30 visit.
Penix Jr. is another player the Raiders might be able to land via the scenarios laid out for Nix above, and quite frankly I feel better about him as a prospect, making him the preferred choice between the two.
Whether or not the Raiders like Penix Jr. enough to take him with the 13th pick remains to be seen, but such a scenario has been gaining steam as the draft draws closer.
