Las Vegas Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams subtly indicates to the team who he would like as the starting quarterback in 2024. Adams recently reposted a picture featuring quarterback prospect Jayden Daniels on his Instagram feed. Adams reposted a graphic from Daniels that says, “My resume speaks for itself.”
After starting his career at Arizona State, Daniels spent the last two seasons as the starting quarterback at LSU. He led the Tigers to a 19-7 record over those two seasons and won the Heisman Trophy last season. In 2023, Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He also rushed for 1,134 yards and ten touchdowns. He’s now expected to be one of the first three quarterbacks selected in this month’s draft.
The Raiders need a quarterback and could use the draft to find one. During this offseason, the team let go of high-paid Jimmy Garoppolo and his veteran backup, Brian Hoyer, and inked journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract. Minshew will compete with second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who started ten games for the Raiders last season. However, Adams’s attention seems focused elsewhere.
Daniels is widely considered the second-best quarterback in the draft, with USC’s Caleb Williams taking the top spot. With Williams expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears, the Raiders would likely need to trade up to secure Daniels at No. 2. They currently hold the No. 13 pick in the first round and have picks in every round, including two in the seventh.
Trading up to the No. 2 pick from the Washington Commanders would require a significant package, possibly including a future first-round pick. Thus far, Las Vegas’s most important move this offseason was signing defensive lineman Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110 million deal. The Raiders have also added Minshew and running backs Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah to fill the void left by departing All-Pro Josh Jacobs.
Minshew had a successful 2023 season with the Indianapolis Colts, going 7-6 in 13 starts and throwing for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He earned a Pro Bowl nod despite the Colts narrowly missing the playoffs with a 9-8 record. On the other hand, O’Connell posted a 5-5 record in his ten starts with Las Vegas, accumulating 2,218 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
As for Adams, he is currently in the third year of a five-year, $140 million contract he signed with the Raiders. Throughout his time with the team, Adams has caught passes from five quarterbacks: Derek Carr, Jarrett Stidham, O’Connell, Garoppolo, and Hoyer.
After an All-Pro season in 2022 playing alongside Carr and Stidham in which he amassed 100 catches for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns, Adams experienced a comparatively quieter year in 2023. He recorded 103 catches for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns, his lowest touchdown count since 2019.
Clearly, Adams would like a more reliable quarterback to throw him the ball. That would be good for the team and good for his stats. Fantasy football and DFS players also want to predict Adams’ numbers for the 2024 season. Naturally, fans should explore some of the best DFS sites in the US to find one that fits their interests.
As for the Raiders, they are facing some tough questions in the weeks to come. Do they stick with Minshew and O’Connell or try to satisfy Adams by attempting to trade up for Daniels? How much is too much to move up to the No. 2 pick? If they don’t find a different quarterback, do they risk Adams becoming unhappy in Las Vegas?
These are not going to be easy questions for the Raiders to answer. They also don’t have much time left to find answers to these questions. Things will come to a head for Adams and the Raiders when the NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday, April 25.
