Raiders fail to land a QB in Mel Kiper's latest 2-round NFL mock draft

Raiders fail to land a QB in Mel Kiper’s latest 2-round NFL mock draft

Landing a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft is all the rage among Las Vegas Raiders fans, and rightly so, as the team doesn’t have a true difference-maker at the position, which is a glaring need for a team ready to compete for a playoff spot.

In his latest two-round mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper did not draft a quarterback for the Raiders. Instead, he took Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga in the first round and Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw in the second.

Here’s Kiper’s write-up on Fuaga:

Las Vegas could be another team to watch for the edge rushers, but I don’t think it can ignore its void at right tackle, particularly in this great class. Fuaga, one of my favorite prospects in this draft, is a punishing blocker who plays with nastiness. He allowed just one sack over the past two seasons while playing right tackle for the Beavers. He and veteran Kolton Miller would make a solid duo of bookends. Cornerback is the other position I considered for the Raiders, with Terrion Arnold (Alabama) likely to go in this range.

And his write-up on Rakestraw:

The Raiders were in flux at cornerback last season, as they brought in former Patriots corner Jack Jones at midseason and then released veteran Marcus Peters in late November. Starter Amik Robertson left for Detroit in free agency. There are still issues here. Rakestraw is a fiesty defender who does the little things well and doesn’t get beaten deep.

In case you were curious, Kiper has the Washington Commanders taking LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall, and the Los Angeles Rams trading up to No. 37 for Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr.

While a draft without a quarterback for this Raiders team is the least sexy thing imaginable, Kiper’s mock does have Las Vegas taking care of two big needs.

With the departure of Jermaine Eluemunor to the New York Giants, the Raiders don’t have a reliable solution at right tackle currently on the roster. Fuaga projects to be just that, and he could factor in at guard — another need for Vegas — if playing tackle doesn’t pan out.

With Rakestraw, the Raiders fill the void opposite Jack Jones that was left by Amik Robertson’s departure, and it’s very possible the Missouri product will provide an upgrade over the now-former Raider.

A secondary with Jones and Rakestraw on the boundary and Nate Hobbs in the slot should give the Raiders an impressive complementary back end to a talented defensive front.