ESPN projects Raiders taking 'wild-card QB' in mock draft
A new mock draft has the Las Vegas Raiders taking a polarizing prospect.
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller predicted the Raiders would select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
"Could the Raiders roll with [rookie] Aidan O'Connell in 2024? Sure, but all signs right now point to them starting over at quarterback with a new regime in place," Miller wrote. "McCarthy is instinctive, efficient and effective as a second-effort creator outside of the pocket. The Michigan scheme does him no favors in terms of statistics, but NFL scouts continue to tell me that McCarthy will be drafted earlier than expected."
QB is clearly a need for the Raiders (5-8). O'Connell and Jimmy Garoppolo — benched after Week 8 — have struggled. Las Vegas ranks 30th in the league in team passer rating (73.6).
McCarthy isn't viewed as a can't-miss prospect, though. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. recently called him the "wild-card QB" in this draft class.
"[He] has been one of the most difficult evaluations of this entire class," Kiper Jr. wrote. "He has the tools to be in the mix for that No. 3 QB, but he just didn't convince me down the stretch. Where were the 'wow' throws?"
His numbers aren't spectacular, either. Through 13 games, he's completed 74.2 percent of his passes for 2,630 yards, 19 TDs, four interceptions and an above-average 170.3 passer rating. However, he helped the Wolverines earn their third consecutive College Football Playoff berth.
Las Vegas has only made two postseason appearances over the past decade. To become a contender again, it must find an answer at the most important position, which may require taking a flier on a passer like McCarthy.
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