With just days to go before the kickoff of the 2024 NFL Draft, most of the outside focus for the Las Vegas Raiders is centered on who the team will select to be the quarterback of the future. While adding another quarterback remains a top priority for Raiders GM Tom Telesco, the front office needs to be prepared to adjust on the fly.
Maybe this involves a top prospect unexpectedly falling to the 13th overall pick, where the Raiders are expected to be on the clock, barring a trade. If so, the Raiders could find themselves with a tough decision to make. Do they take a player who could instantly become a star or potentially reach for a prospect who isn’t graded as highly but fills a key need at quarterback?
These are common situations teams are faced with on draft day, yet for the Raiders, knowing a prospect would love to join the team in Las Vegas, could become a key factor in the decision to draft a specific player. If so, Rome Odunze’s hopes may come true.
Odunze, a Las Vegas native, recently sat down with Pro Football Talk where he admitted he’d love to join the team he grew up rooting for.
“I’m a fan of the Raiders, and you know being in my hometown, I’m a big fan already. I’m a very city-orientated young man, so I definitely wouldn’t mind putting on that Silver and learning from Davante Adams. Hopefully they get my boy Penix or someone back there slinging the ball as well, that would be awesome.”
Rome Odunze on his interest in joining Las Vegas Raiders
Odunze is projected to be a top-ten pick, and there’s a chance he slips a bit, but falling to 13 seems unlikely. However, if Las Vegas has interest, it’s clear Odunze would welcome an opportunity to play for his home team in the NFL.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft: Quarterback prospects for the Las Vegas Raiders in middle rounds