Las Vegas Raiders Predicted To Chase Projected $100+ Million QB in Free Agency Instead of Drafting in Weak 2025 QB Class - suong

Gardner Minshew II (QB+ score: 60.6, 35th in the NFL), Aidan O’Connell (73.8, 20th), and Desmond Ridder spent time at the helm for Las Vegas this season, none of whom were able to bring the team sustainable success.

“At Pick 6, [the Raiders] are out of range for a quarterback unless they move up, which wouldn’t be smart based on the amount of holes they have,” a high-ranking personnel man of an NFL team said, according to Fowler. “They need every pick. They have flexibility within the cap to get it done.”

Fowler also mentioned that “Most execs polled believe Darnold belongs in the Geno Smith/Baker Mayfield class of contracts, somewhere in the range of three years and $100 million.”

Bringing in Darnold on a contract in that range could allow the Raiders to continue building at the skill positions as well as on defense. Then, once the roster is respectable across the depth chart, Las Vegas can target the face of the franchise QB via the NFL Draft.

If the Raiders opt to not pursue a QB in the NFL Draft, that could open up new options for them. In a recent 2025 NFL mock draft on Pro Football Network by Alan Goldsher, the Raiders did not chase a signal-caller, instead taking a generational RB prospect.

“Is it possible that the running back position has become undervalued?” Goldsher wrote. “The Las Vegas Raiders lack firepower all over the offense — the team’s four top rushers combined for 1,097 yards, a total that was eclipsed by 10 individuals — and would do well to ignore the prevailing drafting approach and scoop a potential 1,500-yard rusher.”

This move could improve one of the lowliest rushing offenses in the NFL in 2024, potentially pairing a top-tier back with a resurging quarterback in Darnold.