In a recent mock draft by Field Yates of ESPN, he mocked Oregon State RT Taliese Fuaga to the Raiders at No. 13 and then Washington QB Michael Penix later in Round 2. Here is what he said about the selection of Penix early on Day 2 of the NFL Draft:
Penix has a huge arm and threw for 4,903 yards last season. Even after signing Gardner Minshew to compete with Aidan O’Connell, the Raiders have to add a quarterback. Penix has an injury history (knee and shoulder), and teams will have varying levels of comfort there, but his upside is immense.
The combination of Fuaga and Penix seems like a very realistic pairing as the Raiders would love to address their offensive line early. They are unlikely to add one of the top four quarterbacks but could be in the market for Bo Nix or Penix in Round 2.
Fuaga would be a Day 1 starter at right tackle for Las Vegas and Penix figures to compete with Aidan O’Connell for the starting job. If the Raiders are unable to pull off a trade inside the top five for a QB like Jayden Daniels or J.J. McCarthy, this is one alternative way they could address the position.
