The Las Vegas Raiders shocked everyone when they took Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, No. 13 overall. Most expected them to take a quarterback, cornerback, or offensive tackle with their first pick, but with the way the draft board fell, they just couldn't pass up the opportunity.
Day one of the 2024 NFL Draft was madness. Day two could get even crazier. Yet, somehow, we still have a lot of guys on the board for day two that most thought would be gone by the end of the first 32 picks. So, that's great news for the Raiders.
Since they didn't address one of their bigger needs in this draft, what happens after round one is crucial. The Raiders will start Friday with pick No. 44 and could trade up or back. We aren't sure what will happen yet, and if day one tells us anything, expect the unexpected.
We know that the Raiders can still target three players on day two that fit their biggest needs. These are the three best remaining players for the Raiders:
Three best remaining players for the Raiders on day two
1. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
McKinstry was a player that a lot of people had going in the first round. Some even had him as the better of the two Alabama cornerbacks in this draft between him and Terrion Arnold. With Arnold going to the Detroit Lions, McKinstry seems to be alone in the second round of the Bama boys. However, that doesn't mean he is a bad player or worse than Arnold. The board has been shaken up, and everything is weird right now. McKinstry would perfectly fit the Raiders and address one of their biggest needs.
2. Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
Obviously, the Raiders desperately needed a quarterback from this draft. But, after Daniels went second and Penix went eighth, the Raiders will be stuck trying to draft one on day two or three. Luckily, Rattler is projected to be a day-two guy and has already visited with the Raiders before. He is the best available quarterback in the draft class and could battel Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell for that starting job.
3. Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU
The Raiders have visited with Suamataia already, so we know they have at least a small interest in him. Suamataia was a guy whose draft stock started to rise in the last few weeks, making him look like he could go in the first round. Obviously, that didn't happen, but that doesn't mean he is bad. Seven offensive tackles went ahead of him, and several of the best ones went late. Suamataia could help fill that hole the Raiders have on the right side, which Thayer Munford currently occupies.
If the Raiders could somehow manage to snag any of these guys on day two, they would be set up for a great future and a winning draft. We know the Raiders have had issues with drafting in the past. But, this is a new regime that seems to have things down. These three guys are surely on their draft board for day two.
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