Picking the best Round 3 draft target for the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of 2024 NFL Combine

The Las Vegas Raiders are entering the 2024 NFL Draft with nine draft picks, which include three in the seventh round. However, like most teams, their money will be made in the middle rounds. That's where some of the most significant picks happen, and some of the greatest players of all time come in that area. That's not saying the first round doesn't mean anything - but instead, I'm saying not to count out those two picks.

The Raiders will have a round-three pick that is just as important as round two, really. They have several things they need to address, and as general manager Tom Telesco said on Tuesday at the NFL Combine, the offense needs a lot of work.

Sure, the roster on that side of the ball is better, but the defense showed out last year when the offense didn't. The defense will get some work, but it feels like the offense will get a large bulk of the attention - such as the quarterback position.

We all know they need a new quarterback. No matter how you feel about Aidan O'Connell, it's almost clear he won't be a guy who can change a franchise. Not only that, but he is the exact opposite of the style of quarterback you want in Luke Getsy's system. It's almost a no-brainer the Raiders will attack that position in the draft; it's just more about where.

At A to Z Sports, we have been doing our series of best draft picks per round. In these series, we act as if the team picks with the trade they currently have and does not get any trades. In round one we chose defensive tackle Byron Murphy, and in round two we chose offensive tackle Patrick Paul. In this case, the Raiders pick 77 in round three, and I happen to have the perfect pick for the Raiders when they go on the clock for the second time on day two.

Raiders should target Washington QB Michael Penix with their third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

I know what most of you are thinking - there is no way the Raiders will get this guy in the third round. However, I have a feeling he will drop that low, and even if he doesn't fall to 77, I do think the Raiders would be able to trade up at least five picks to get him. I have done around ten simulated mock drafts across several different sites the last few days, and in 9/10 of them, Penix was still available a few picks before the Raiders picked at 77.

To me, this is a very similar situation to Hendon Hooker last season, where he fell so low because of his injury and injury history. Penix has a very bad history of injuries and is also one of the older quarterbacks in the draft. And, not to mention, he didn't have the best Senior Bowl, or at least as good as he could have done.

But this is not me explaining why Penix is bad; I am selling you why Penix will be available in round three. And remember, this is the perfect pick, so in a perfect world, the Raiders would get Penix, their new franchise quarterback, at pick No. 77.

Why Penix fits the Raiders

Penix has Raider written all over him in terms of grittiness and the way he has defied all odds. He never gives up and seems to always get the job done. Well, not always, as his team didn't play the best in the National Championship Game against Michigan.

Being a Raider is also about showing up when the lights are brightest, and he lit it up in the Pac-12 Championship Game and the College Football Playoffs.

As far as how his game fits, he ran a very pro-ready offense in college. At Washington, he was placed in a lot of RPO, or Run Pas Option, situations. He pulled at times and showed his mobility, but if he needed to pull and stand in the pocket, he did that, too. He comes off as a statue, but that's more so by choice and not by design. He can move, for sure.

He has elite ball placement, but he could definitely use some work when throwing under pressure. However, while he is a guy who will need some coaching, he is more ready and mature-wise than most quarterbacks in this draft. He is close to 24 years old, which is another reason teams aren't high on him.