The Las Vegas Raiders are in a rough situation despite their status as a large market organization.
Without a head coach and franchise quarterback, it’s hard to see contention anywhere in their future. Las Vegas missed out on the consensus top head coaching candidate of this hiring cycle, former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who is set to become the next leader of the Chicago Bears. However, missing out on Johnson is not the end of the world, as there are plenty of other candidates on the market.
The latter is a much greater problem because of their position in the 2025 NFL Draft order. With the No. 6 pick in a weak QB class, it would be a reach to select anyone at the position outside of Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, who are expected to be off the board by the time they’re on the clock. So, where should the Raiders find their QB for next season?
Raiders Predicted To Chase Projected $100+ Million QB in Free Agency
Las Vegas has some of the most salary cap space in the NFL, meaning free agency could be their best route for the short term.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke with NFL team executives, scouts, and personnel figures who predict the Raiders will pursue Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold this offseason.
“All it takes is one suitor to drive Darnold’s market to the point where it’s cost-prohibitive for Minnesota to retain him. And the numbers favor Darnold — at least five teams selecting in the top 10 of the NFL Draft need a quarterback during a year when the supply doesn’t meet the demand. Darnold is the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback in free agency,” Fowler wrote.
“Enter Las Vegas, which endured arguably the league’s worst quarterback situation in 2024.”
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.
