McCarthy to Broncos, Penix Jr. to Raiders in Chad Reuter's 2024 NFL Mock Draft

If the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders want to find their next quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, they might have to trade up.

That's what Chad Reuter predicts both teams doing in his latest mock draft for NFL.com.

Reuter projects the Broncos making a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to move up from No. 12 to draft Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 4 overall pick.

The deal would cost the Broncos first- and third-round picks in the 2025 draft, Reuter predicted.

Although McCarthy just led the Wolverines to a CFP championship, he recorded 654 pass attempts over two seasons as Michigan's starter, notably fewer than other projected first-round quarterback picks.

Reuter noted this might not decrease his value to the Broncos.

"McCarthy's lack of volume in college might be seen as a negative by some, but perhaps not to [Broncos head coach Sean Payton], who might think it'll make it easier to mold the athletic former Wolverine into a top-level quarterback," Reuter wrote.

The Raiders, meanwhile, are projected to use their No. 13 pick on Alabama offensive tackle J.C. Latham.

Reuter doesn't predict the team will wait until its next pick at No. 44 to draft again, however.

He projects the Raiders sending fourth- and fifth-round picks to the Carolina Panthers to move up to No. 33, where they could draft Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at the top of the second round.

Penix led all FBS players with 4,903 passing yards in 2023. Before transferring to Washington in 2022, however, he suffered four season-ending injuries at Indiana, including two ACL tears on the same knee.

Although those injury concerns could drop Penix out of the first round, Reuter predicts the Raiders will draft him early in the second with the hope he "could be an excellent starter if able to stay healthy."