Raiders News: Antonio Pierce Believes Jayden Daniels’ Running Ability Will Translate

It feels like basically a guarantee that the Las Vegas Raiders will add a quarterback at some point in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. General manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce will have to work together to identify who they believe is the best fit for this Raiders franchise moving forward.

But there are a number of different routes to take. The Raiders could stay put at 13 and draft someone there or in a later round. But the team could also look to move up in the draft if they really like one of those top prospects and a name that has continued to come up when discussing the Raiders is LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner is a dual-threat QB who absolutely dominated the SEC last season. While there are definitely some areas he needs to improve Pierce seems to be a fan and feels that his running ability will translate well to the NFL, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez:

“One thing about him, that I think separates him from the rest, is his ability to run. He could run, run. He could run like that in the SEC and put up those kind of numbers. I think that translates very well.” – #Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, on Jayden Daniels

— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) March 25, 2024

In his final season Daniels showed he can beat a team with his arm as he completed over 72% of his passes for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns with just four interceptions. But it is hard to disagree with Pierce’s take that Daniels’ running ability makes him stand out amongst the other top quarterback prospects, and that could be exactly what the Raiders are looking for.

Daniels rushed for 1,134 yards and another 10 touchdowns last season as when teams were able to cover his options through the air, he made them pay otherwise. There will be some concern as far as durability in the NFL with Daniels being on the thinner side at under 200 pounds, but his speed opens up another layer to whatever offense he is in.

If Pierce and the Raiders feel that he is the difference maker and the right guy for the job, then they will have to figure out a way to move up and make Jayden Daniels a member of the Silver and Black.

Antonio Pierce: Aidan O’Connell earned the right to compete for Raiders QB job

Whether it is Jayden Daniels being drafted or someone else at a different point in the draft, there is no guarantee that the player will walk right into the Raiders starting quarterback job. Head coach Antonio Pierce has made it clear that second-year man Aidan O’Connell will be competing for the job.

Pierce said that O’Connell’s performance last season as a starter has earned him the right to compete for the Raiders’ starting quarterback job in 2024. So anyone else brought in will have to go through him to be the starter.