The Las Vegas Raiders don’t appear to have an avenue to land LSU’s Jayden Daniels in the draft. The team has been eyeing the quarterback this offseason due to his ties to head coach Antonio Pierce but signs point toward the Washington Commanders drafting him at No. 2.
While the Raiders reached out to the Commanders about a possible trade, they were turned away. That’s going to be disappointing news to Daniels. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the quarterback wants to be in Las Vegas but isn’t going to refuse to play for the Commanders.
“Since the visit [with the Commanders], league sources have said Daniels has told people in his ‘dream world’ he could reunite with Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who was an assistant coach at Arizona State during Daniels’ time with the Sun Devils, or play under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota,” Russini wrote in an April 24 column. “The belief around the league is the Commanders and Daniels will get past this bogey, and he’s expected to be the team’s QB of the future. But also watch for the Commanders to use one or some of their second-day picks to move back into the first round to get another starting-caliber player. Peters calls it ‘optionality.’”
There have been very few instances of players refusing to play for the team that drafted them and Daniels is unlikely to be the latest. The Raiders will almost certainly have to look at other options.
Jayden Daniels Is Willing to Play for Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels wants to play for the Raiders but they are not the only team he’d be willing to play for. He recently decided to clear the air and reiterate that he’s open to playing in Washington.
“I’m blessed to go wherever I’m called,” Daniels said during his April 24 media availability. “Whoever calls my phone, (when the) commissioner gets up and says my name, I’ll be blessed, and they’re going to get my all.”
This is good news for Washington, which is a team that is in desperate need of a quarterback. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner may have been the No. 1 pick in many other years. The Commanders have been one of the worst franchises in the NFL for several years but are under new ownership. Daniels has to hope that Josh Harris represents an upgrade over Dan Snyder.
Las Vegas Raiders Trying to Trade Up
Though the Raiders won’t be getting Jayden Daniels, it’s unclear if they’d be willing to trade up for another quarterback. According to Dianna Russini, the team has been active in trying to move up.
“The Raiders have made calls to teams that appear open for business, including the Commanders, but keep in mind new GM Tom Telesco doesn’t have a history of trading up in drafts,” Russini wrote. “Las Vegas needs a quarterback, and many teams have been mocking the Raiders landing [Michael] Penix with their pick at No. 13.”
It remains to be seen if the Raiders like Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy enough to move up. If not, they could stay at No. 13 and consider Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. The team could also skip quarterbacks altogether this year and hope that they have a better chance at getting one next year.
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