NFL Draft rumors: Raiders chances of landing Jayden Daniels are all but gone

The 2024 NFL Draft is believed to officially begin at the No. 2 pick, held by the Washington Commanders. The expectation is that the Chicago Bears will use the first overall selection on USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Commanders have a need at quarterback, as they traded Sam Howell away to the Seattle Seahawks once the No. 2 pick was secured.

As we approached closer to the NFL Draft, it felt more and more likely that the team would select LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. That comes even after Daniels' camp was upset about how the Commanders opted for a mass visit of prospects instead of one-on-one meetings for Daniels. With that, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter pointed out that Daniels was assessing some options, one of them being the Las Vegas Raiders. The head coach of the Raiders is Antonio Pierce, who was an assistant coach at Arizona State. With the Raiders holding the No. 13 pick, a potential move up to the No. 2 spot seemed unfeasible. As it turns out, it is.

According to NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport, the Commanders have shown "no indication" of moving out of the No. 2 spot and will instead stay put. NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo reported that the Raiders were "among the teams who tested the Commanders on moving" out of the second overall pick, even when general manager Adam Peters told reporters that he planned on keeping the pick.

Raiders tried and failed to acquire No. 2 overall pick from Commanders

At least the Raiders tried. But given the Commanders' desperate need for a quarterback, it was hard envisioning them passing on one of the top prospects not named Caleb Williams. Not to mention that the Commanders would have had to move back 11 spots to the Raiders' position, where it was likely five of the top quarterbacks would be off the board.

Daniels' stock skyrocketed this past season after his tremendous senior year at LSU, where he won the Heisman Trophy. Daniels has the arm talent and game-changing rushing ability that teams at the next level would covet.

Last season, Daniels threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and four interceptions while completing 72.2 percent of his passes. Additionally, Daniels ran for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on 135 carries.

The fit on the Commanders makes sense for Daniels, considering offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury usually prefers working with a dual-threat quarterback. That has been the case, considering he worked with Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, Kyler Murray with the Arizona Cardinals, and Williams at USC.

The Raiders did assess their need at quarterback by signing Gardner Minshew to a two-year contract. Behind him is Aidan O'Connell, whom they drafted last year and filled in admirably down the stretch of the season. While quarterback isn't necessarily a pressing need, it wouldn't hurt if the Raiders find their quarterback of the future. Daniels would be a good reunion story with Pierce, but that doesn't appear to be very realistic, especially with reports of the Commanders not budging on giving up the No. 2 pick.