NFL Draft 2024 Rumors: Michael Penix Jr. Linked to Raiders amid 1st-Round Buzz

Insiders around the NFL see Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as a "natural fit" on the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The Raiders hold the No. 13 and No. 44 picks in the upcoming draft.

"There's some buzz around this player getting first-round consideration," Fowler said about Penix on Saturday's SportsCenter. "I've talked to multiple teams who say they do not expect him to be there where they pick in the early-to-mid second round. He's already met with the Raiders and Broncos. He's already privately worked out with the Vikings and Falcons. I'm told he's also going to meet with the Commanders at some point in the next week or two.

"The Raiders is a team that a lot of people I've talked to around the league see as a natural fit if they can't move up and get a [player like] Jayden Daniels early in the draft."

Penix finished second in Heisman Trophy voting this season while leading the NCAA with 4,903 passing yards.

The Raiders hosted him Wednesday for a Top 30 visit, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported.

Las Vegas could use another quarterback to compete with Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew for the starting job in 2024.

O'Connell started the final nine games of the 2023 season as the Raiders marked a 5-4 record over that span.

After throwing three touchdowns to five interceptions over his first five starts, O'Connell settled into his new role and passed for eight touchdowns and no interceptions over his final four starts.

Despite that improvement, the Raiders would at least like to introduce competition to the team's quarterback room before penciling O'Connell in for a Week 1 start.

Penix could provide that competition, although his injury history might remain a concern for the Raiders. The quarterback saw each of his four seasons at Indiana cut short due to two right-knee ACL tears and injuries to both shoulders before transferring to Washington in 2022.

Even if the Raiders decide Penix's success with the Huskies outweighs his injury issues with the Hoosiers, they could have competition to select him in the draft.

Penix was projected to be drafted with the No. 21 pick in the latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft by the B/R NFL Scouting Department, but the demand for quarterbacks could push him higher.

Rapoport reported the Denver Broncos, a team drafting one spot above the Raiders at No. 12, hosted Penix for a Top 30 visit the day before he met with the Raiders.

That interest from the Raiders and Broncos led Rapoport to say Wednesday on NFL Total Access that Penix is "pretty likely" to be selected in the first half of the first round later this month.