The Raiders have not considered trading for quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

In the final week before the NFL Draft, almost every mock draft had the Raiders selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at 13th overall. It became one of the hottest picks in the entire draft, but no one expected him to go no. .8 to the Falcons.

We know the Raiders were interested in Penix, but how were they really interested? The answer probably depends on who you ask.

According to a recent article from ESPN, they said the Raiders weren’t considering trading for Penix, and it wasn’t even a given that they would take him at 13th overall. After years of reaching the NFL Draft, the Raiders don’t want to do this again in the first round.

Las Vegas was also interested in Michael Penix Jr., but probably not in a trade. He would have been considered at No. 13 or in a trade. I heard from several people in Vegas that the team didn’t want to reach.

The Raiders desperately want to find their next franchise quarterback, but they also don’t want to “settle down.” Trading for Penix would never have made sense and it would have cost them several starters (like Brock Bowers and Jackson Powers-Johnson) to acquire him.

Instead, the Raiders sat back and let the draft come back to them after the top three quarterbacks went off the board with the first three picks. It’s really hard to criticize the front office for this strategy, especially given their recent track record in the draft.