After a horrible last season, in which the Las Vegas Raiders finished with a 4-13 record, a plan was devised to try to be competitive in the tough AFC West. However, everything has been a failure, and now the future is more uncertain than ever. Currently, the team led by Pete Carroll has a 2-11 record, at the bottom of the division.
For this season, John Spytek arrived, who had been successful in the front office of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. The first decision was to appoint an experienced head coach like Pete Carroll, who in turn brought in a familiar face, Geno Smith, to be the quarterback for the 2025 season.
However, everything has gone wrong for the Raiders. Geno Smith is not even close to the player he was in his last years with the Seattle Seahawks; he now leads the NFL with 14 interceptions, tied with Tua Tagovailoa. Additionally, in the last game against the Denver Broncos, he left due to injury, and Kenny Pickett looked much better than Smith, even throwing a touchdown pass.
Las Vegas Raiders may have their quarterback in the next Draft
Mock drafts have already started, and of course, the Raiders are being linked to quarterbacks, and it’s no surprise. Although Geno Smith is under contract, they can’t risk another terrible year in the most important position in the NFL, or at the very least, they should be preparing someone for the future, which is undoubtedly uncertain.
At this time, the Raiders are expected to pick with the second overall selection in the next Draft, and ESPN analyst Field Yates has them choosing Dante Moore, quarterback for the Oregon Ducks, in the first round. Moore had a 2025 season that might not have been spectacular, but he did show the ability to lead a team, which is a major requirement in the NFL.
Dante Moore finished with 2,733 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Additionally, he still has NFL auditions ahead as the Oregon Ducks make the College Football Playoffs, so the quarterback will likely continue to be watched and, if nothing goes wrong, will probably be a first-round pick in the next Draft.
It’s worth remembering that in the previous Draft, the Raiders were linked to Shedeur Sanders but ultimately passed on him and selected Ashton Jeanty, who so far has had a forgettable rookie season, surpassing 75 yards in only one game this year. So, based on what we’ve seen from Geno Smith, Las Vegas will have to go for a quarterback, no doubt about it.
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