ESPN Insider Says Rumors around Michael Penix Jr. and the Raiders are the “One Constant I keep Hearing”

Last week, there was a report that “whispers are getting louder” the Raiders might take Michael Penix Jr. with the 13th-overall pick.

Not long after that report in The Athletic, ESPN’s Matt Miller piggybacked on that story a little and said that the Raiders are known by many around the league to be high on Penix…

“One constant I keep hearing from people I trust is that the Raiders really do like Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and could select him at No. 13 overall. That would qualify as a surprise, despite the fact that Penix is a beautiful thrower from the pocket and has the best overall arm strength in this class.

His medical history — four straight season-ending injuries while at Indiana — and his lack of mobility are concerns enough that he is ranked No. 40 on my board and is generally seen as a Day 2 prospect, but the buzz here is starting to heat up connecting the Raiders to him in Round 1. Las Vegas signed Gardner Minshew, but this team was 26th in QBR last season (40.1) and needs a long-term solution.“

There’s no question the Raiders would love to add a quarterback in the draft but reaching for a quarterback at pick 13 would probably be a mistake.

The question then becomes… would Penix be a reach with the 13th pick?

Raider fans are split on Penix, but the slight majority seem to believe the 13th pick is too early to draft the soon-to-be-24-year-old quarterback.

Raiders Beat on Twitter: “POLL: Is pick 13 too early for the #Raiders to draft Michael Penix Jr.? / Twitter”

POLL: Is pick 13 too early for the #Raiders to draft Michael Penix Jr.?

Just an outside guess, but it seems like the stars are aligning for the Raiders first two picks to be a cornerback and an offensive tackle.

If Tom Telesco and company believe the Raiders can find a starting caliber cornerback in round 2, maybe they’ll take an offensive tackle in round one. If they believe an offensive tackle can be found in the second round, maybe they’ll be inclined to take a cornerback with their first pick.

Or maybe the rumors are true, and the Raiders will walk away from round one with the player many believe to be the fifth or sixth-best quarterback in the draft.

twitter: @raidersbeat