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The Las Vegas Raiders were in a bit of a tough spot leading to the NFL Draft, at least when it came to the first round.
With so many teams looking to get quarterbacks, their chances of landing one with the No. 13 selection were slim, to say the least.
The Denver Broncos got theirs right before them, landing Bo Nix at No. 12, leaving the Raiders going with their other needs and a ‘best player available’ approach.
They couldn’t afford to jeopardize their future by pulling off a big trade for a quarterback they absolutely didn’t love, as they weren’t just one good player away from contention.
With that in mind, Mike Jones of The Athletic criticized the way they handled the draft, not for what they did but for what they didn’t do.
“Entering yet another season without a franchise QB in a division that features Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert is disconcerting,” Jones said.
The Falcons… what?
The Chiefs got richer. Wolverines littered the ranks of draft picks. And the Raiders’ draft is more about what they 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 do.@ByMikeJones has winners and losers from the 2024 NFL Draft.https://t.co/lFsPTQL2eN pic.twitter.com/hRLaqSWbca
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 28, 2024
While getting a first-round QB could’ve been too pricey for them, Jones believes they should’ve addressed that need in the following rounds.
He also called them out for passing on Spencer Rattler, who was once considered to be a first-round talent and who could still be developed into a decent starter, given enough time.
The Raiders focused on revamping their defense instead, which shouldn’t be a surprise with Antonio Pierce as their new full-time head coach.
Still, with a QB room consisting of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, this could be a long season for them in the touch AFC West Division.
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