Raiders' Antonio Pierce: I Don't Know How J.J. McCarthy Isn't Top-3 QB Draft Prospect

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce made a firm endorsement in Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Pierce spoke with reporters Monday at the NFL annual meeting and talked about some of the top signal-callers in the upcoming draft class. He called McCarthy "a winner" and added "I don't know how he's not in the top three, if you want to be honest."

The admiration is mutual.

During the NFL Scouting Combine, McCarthy said he enjoyed his meeting with the Raiders and said Pierce specifically is "definitely somebody I can see myself playing for."

Quarterback figures to be a position on Las Vegas' radar in the first round of the draft. The team cut Jimmy Garoppolo and is poised to open the 2024 season with Aidan O'Connell or Gardner Minshew as its starter.

If the Raiders want McCarthy specifically, then they'll probably need to trade up. Based on the current projections, the odds of him lasting until the No. 13 overall pick are slim. There are a few QB-needy teams that will be on the clock before Las Vegas gets to submit its choice to the commissioner.

Perhaps Pierce's comments foreshadow an aggressive play by the Raiders that will allow them to land the Wolverines star.