The Raiders ended the Jimmy Garoppolo experiment after just one season…

The Raiders canceled the Jimmy Garoppolo experiment after one season and now have Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew competing for the starting quarterback job. It seems likely that they will add another quarterback in the draft, and according to a recent mock draft by ESPN’s Field Yates, the Raiders will move up in the second round via a hypothetical deal with the Washington Commanders in order to acquire Penix.

“After losing out on the top five passers on Day 1 and knowing clubs will be looking at the quarterbacks available today, I have the Raiders trading No. 44 and a 2025 third-round pick to the Commanders for No. 36. Penix has a powerful arm, throwing for 4,903 yards last season. Even after signing Gardner Minshew to compete with Aidan O’Connell, the Raiders need a quarterback. Penix has a history of injuries (knee and shoulder), and teams will have varied levels of confidence in him, but his potential is enormous.” – Field Yates of ESPN

Rather of moving up in the first round, this hypothetical deal has the Raiders moving up in the second round to acquire Penix. They trade their second-round pick (44th overall) and a 2025 third-round pick for the Commanders’ 36th overall pick. With the other five aforementioned quarterbacks all off the board before Penix, the Raiders act quickly to select him.

There are legitimate concerns about Penix, but he is coming off two consecutive excellent seasons at Washington, the second of which saw him lead the Huskies all the way to the National Championship Game. Penix has injury worries, but his 2023 records (363/555, 4903 YDS, 36 TD, 11 INT) show that he has the abilities to be a great NFL quarterback.

The Raiders’ motivation for making this transaction is straightforward: they need their quarterback of the future. O’Connell demonstrated some potential last season, but his ceiling is likely similar to that of Minshew, with whom he is presently competing for the starting quarterback job. Penix is a bit of a risk, but putting him behind these two and giving him a chance to win the job entirely as a rookie provides them options for 2024.