Raiders' Top Options With No. 13 Pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders will begin a new era in the 2024 offseason. Whether they choose to stick with the interim head coach Antonio Pierce and interim general manager Champ Kelly or look to someone from the outside, they will have a new tandem making important roster decisions.

That starts with free agency, but the most important decisions might come in the 2024 NFL draft where the Raiders will have the 13th pick after going 8-9 this season.

Ultimately, the fact that the Raiders were able to finish close to .500 in a season where they fired their head coach in the middle of year is a positive sign for the roster. However, there are still some important needs that could determine the direction they go.

From a potential franchise quarterback to a potential Davante Adams successor, here's a look at three of their top options.

QB Michel Penix Jr., Washington

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Michael Penix Jr.

In all likelihood, the Raiders did too much winning to get Drake Maye, Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels. There are too many quarterback-needy teams that pick ahead of the Raiders and it will be difficult to trade up to get any of the three.

Targeting Michael Penix Jr. would be a more realistic goal. The Washington quarterback led the Huskies to the National Championship Game in his final year and showcased a ton of growth from his days as the starting quarterback at Indiana.

The fact that Penix was in college for six seasons is a bit of a downside. However, he has shown a lot of development in the way that he operates an offense over the years. In four years with the Hoosiers he threw for 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. In two seasons with Washington, he had 66 touchdowns to 17 interceptions.

B/R quarterback scout Derrik Klassen is a fan of Penix's arm strength in his scouting report.

"Everything with Penix's game starts and ends with arm strength. The ball explodes out of his hand. He can bomb it 60 yards down the field with the flick of the wrist, as well as attack tight windows to the intermediate range. Penix is at his most accurate down the field as well."

He's far from a perfect prospect, but the arm talent is legit and he has a higher ceiling than Aidan O'Connell.

WR Rome Odunze, Washington

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 01: Rome Odunze #1 of the Washington Huskies reacts during the first half against the Texas Longhorns during the CFP Semifinal Allstate Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome on January 01, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

If the Raiders aren't that high on Penix or they are unable to land a franchise quarterback in the first round then they might have to focus on making life better for whoever the quarterback is.

Drafting Rome Odunze would do just that. As the B/R scouting department noted when making Odunze their selection for the Raiders in their latest mock draft, the Raiders might be in for a reset at the position. Jakobi Meyers was a Dave Ziegler signing and Davante Adams is a logical trade candidate.

Odunze has made his name at Washington as a deep threat in the Huskies' vertical, attacking scheme, but Klassen has come away impressed with other aspects of his game as well.

"Odunze is a vertical ball-winner first and foremost, but there's so much more to his game," Klassen noted in the mock draft. "The two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection is a smart, natural route-runner who understands how to make himself friendly to the quarterback. He can play inside and out, and he has enough burst and flexibility to be used as more than just a ball-winner down the field."

Even if Adams isn't traded, a trio of Adams, Odunze and Meyers would be among the best groups in the league. That would make it an attractive landing spot for any quarterback.

DL Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois

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CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 02: Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton (94) reacts as the ball is snapped during the college football game between the Charlotte 49ers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 2, 2021, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

To succeed in today's NFL you have to be able to pass the ball on offense and get after the passer on defense. Pressure is the name of the game and the Raiders finished just 27th in pressure percentage.

The defense played much better after Pierce took over, but that's way too low for a team with Maxx Crosby on the roster.

The Raiders attempted to improve their pass rush by drafting Tyree Wilson with the seventh overall pice, but his rookie year was more about getting healthy and developing than really making a huge impact.

He should be better in 2024, but adding Jer'Zhan Newton to the middle could be a game-changer. Newton is a disruptive defender against both the run and the pass. The B/R scouting department named him the "best run defender" in the interior defender class while ranking him as the 13th prospect overall on their latest big board.

He had 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in his final season with the Illini and could be the kind of disruptive force the Raiders haven't had in the middle of their defensive line for a long time.