Trade Pitch Sees Raiders Deal With Bears to Add Polarizing QB

Getty Las Vegas Raiders GM Tom Telesco.

The 2024 NFL Draft is nearing but no team has traded into the top 10 yet. The Las Vegas Raiders are a candidate to make a big move up but may have a limit to how far they can move.

If a trade into the top three isn’t possible, the team could consider other options. Pro Football Focus pitched a trade that would have the Raiders send the No. 13 and No. 44 picks to the Chicago Bears for the No. 9 pick and a 2025 third-rounder. With the No. 9 pick, the Raiders would add Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.

“With the top three quarterbacks gone, the Raiders move up to secure their future,” PFF wrote in an April 22 column. “J.J. McCarthy ranked 11th in non-play-action passes and passes beyond the sticks in 2023, and he maintained a 90.8 clean-pocket grade throughout his time at Michigan.”

McCarthy’s projections have been all over the place. There’s recent chatter that he could go as high as No. 2 to the Washington Commanders. He’s also been heavily linked to the Minnesota Vikings. No. 9 might be too low to get McCarthy, especially if the Vikings like him as they currently hold two first-round picks. The price to move up to No. 9 isn’t too steep but may not be a realistic deal if teams are truly high on McCarthy.

J.J. McCarthy Is a Polarizing Prospect

J.J. McCarthy has been one of the most interesting prospects in this year’s draft class. He came into the offseason expecting to be a mid-to-late first-round pick and could now be a top-five pick. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently spoke to several people around the NFL who gave insight into McCarthy.

“I don’t see him getting past [Pick] 5 or 6,” an NFC exec told Fowler in an April 16 column. “Definitely not getting out of the top 10. Anticipation, decision-making, preparation, coming from pro-style offense — he’s got a lot going for him. You see him process, go through progressions. That’s an easier predictor of what it would look like at the NFL level.”

While there’s plenty of hype around him, not everyone is buying it.

“I just don’t see it,” an AFC scout said of McCarthy, per Fowler. “I don’t see consistent accuracy, his ability to get it done inside the white lines, and [the Michigan staff] didn’t call games or play offensively like they trusted him.”

The excitement around McCarthy could be driven more by coaches than scouts.

“What you’re seeing now is the coaches and coordinators are more involved in the draft process [in March and April], and they are realizing, [EXPLETIVE], he’s a pro already,” the NFC exec told Fowler. “And he showed more arm strength at his pro day than I thought he had.”

This is why coaches love JJ McCarthy…

Is J.J. McCarthy Right for Las Vegas Raiders?

J.J. McCarthy could be a very good pro but he’s only 21 and didn’t have to do much at Michigan. It’s going to take time for him to adjust to the NFL level. The Raiders aren’t in a position to be patient. A team like the Vikings that has an offensive-minded head coach would make much more sense.

The Raiders have a defensive head coach and culture now. It would make more sense for them to add a quarterback who needs less work.