Their quest to find a new signal-caller may have taken a hit in Week 16, as the Raiders’ victory over the Jaguars dropped them from second to sixth in the projected order for the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Las Vegas will take a hard look at any quarterback available in free agency, the team is expected to draft a quarterback in the first round at the direction of owner Mark Davis, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. But with up to three other teams in the first five picks targeting quarterbacks – including the Giants, the Titans, and even the Browns – the Raiders’ front office may have to get aggressive to fulfill Davis’ mandate.
Only Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedur Sanders are currently viewed as surefire first-round quarterback prospects, but that view may not be shared by new Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. He is expected to play a major role in the team’s personnel decisions and will surely have strong opinions about the available quarterback talent. That could expand Las Vegas’ search beyond Ward and Sanders or narrow it down to just one of the two. If it’s the former, staying at the sixth overall pick could still net the Raiders their desired prospect. If it’s the latter, trading up in the draft becomes an expensive necessity…