Among the many possibilities for the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft is the team taking quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 13 overall.
That would amount to a surprise, at least for draft analysts, most of whom have Penix Jr. either going late in the first round or early in the second, at the earliest.
But as we know, the opinions of teams and analysts do not always line up, and that could very well be the case when it comes to the Raiders and the Washington product, who is mostly brought down by past injury issues that haven't popped up over the last few years
We've seen on at least one occasion that there's a shot the Raiders take Penix Jr. at No. 13 overall, something ESPN's Matt Miller is also hearing is a possibility based on people he's talked to.
One constant I keep hearing from people I trust is that the Raiders really do like Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and could select him at No. 13 overall. That would qualify as a surprise, despite the fact that Penix is a beautiful thrower from the pocket and has the best overall arm strength in this class. His medical history -- four straight season-ending injuries while at Indiana -- and his lack of mobility are concerns enough that he is ranked No. 40 on my board and is generally seen as a Day 2 prospect, but the buzz here is starting to heat up connecting the Raiders to him in Round 1. Las Vegas signed Gardner Minshew, but this team was 26th in QBR last season (40.1) and needs a long-term solution.
The other time we've seen Penix Jr. to the Raiders being a possibility with their first-round pick came from Vic Tafur of The Athletic, who reported earlier this week that "whispers are getting louder" for the Raiders to make such a move.
We've seen several possibilities floated for Penix Jr. and the Raiders in the first round, including a trade back from No. 13 and a trade up from their second-round pick that lands Las Vegas late in the first round to select him.
And, of course, trading up into the early second round is another possibility. The most ideal scenario would see the Raiders not having to move anywhere with their second-round pick and having Penix Jr. falling into their lap, although that doesn't feel likely to happen.
Whatever the case may be, if the Raiders truly feel that the Washington product is a player who can elevate the team and take the franchise into the future, they should do just about whatever it takes to bring him to Las Vegas.
