NFL Draft Will Tell How In Sync Telesco, Pierce Are

The Las Vegas Raiders have nearly an entirely new front office. Tom Telesco is now the team’s new general manager, Antonio Pierce has been named the team’s permanent head coach, and Luke Getsy was hired as the team’s offensive coordinator.

The Raiders' roster was significantly flawed last season. While it is nearly impossible to fix a roster completely in one offseason, Telesco has done a decent job filling the holes. 

The Raiders still have glaring needs at multiple positions, including offensive line and cornerback. However, since the Raiders announced they are in the market for a quarterback and because of their prior connection, some believe Las Vegas should trade up in the NFL Draft to get Jayden Daniels or select a quarterback with the No. 13 pick. 

Las Vegas drafted Aidan O’Connell in the fourth round of last year’s draft and threw the rookie quarterback into the starting position halfway through the season. O’Connell would win more games than he lost, showing potential and a need for growth. The Raiders recently signed Gardner Minshew II to compete for the starting position. 

While both quarterbacks have the potential to lead the Raiders this season, both also leave much to be desired for a franchise that has been searching for better quarterback play for the last few seasons. The Raiders incorrectly thought Jimmy Garoppolo was the quarterback to help them transition from Derek Carr to their quarterback of the future. However, they have yet to find who that quarterback will be.

This year’s draft presents an opportunity for the Raiders to try again to find their future quarterback, assuming it's not O’Connell.

Las Vegas also needs significant help along its offensive line, as many of last season’s offensive linemen have left this offseason. While the Raiders have a couple of solid starters along their offensive line, the unit severely lacks depth. The same is the case for the Raiders cornerbacks.

They have solid starters in Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs but must find a way to add depth to the unit. 

The Raiders’ needs at cornerback and offensive line, as well as their desire to add a quarterback, preferably one who is connected to Pierce, leave them with a chance to show how in sync their general manager and head coach are. While the two don’t have to agree on specific picks, it would be best to decide on the team's overall direction.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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