The Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback. Typically, when an organization needs to fulfill the most valuable position in the sport (and possibly all of sports), they look to the draft.
The issue? Just 40 percent of first-round quarterbacks succeed. And the 2025 NFL Draft class gives little to be confident about. Miami quarterback Cam Ward is the consensus No. 1 at the position; after him, it's a free-for-all. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders has seen his stock plummet.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, whom Las Vegas Raiders On SI reported on first as a potential top draft target, is rising on big boards. There is a high likelihood Dart doesn't go past the first round.
But are the Raiders willing to risk losing big-time on a crucial pick? Unlikely. Not with Pete Carroll and John Spytek at the helm.
The other option for the Silver and Black is free agency, and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter recently told Pat McAfee of the "Pat McAfee Show" that he sees the Raiders going after the Minnesota Vikings' Sam Darnold.
"I think the Raiders are going to make a play for Sam Darnold," Schefter said. "I think Sam Darnold is ... to be the Raiders' quarterback. Let's see whether Minnesota lets him go or not. Let's see if that works out with Sam Darnold winding up in Vegas."
Darnold, former No. 3 pick of the New York Jets in 2018, was widely considered a bust before landing in Minneapolis. He bounced from the Jets to the Carolina Panthers and then the San Francisco 49ers before Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, in one of recent memory's best coaching jobs, helped turn things around with Darnold.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old passer tossed for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record and a playoff berth. The biggest question mark is if Darnold can sustain such a performance without O'Connell and some of the league's best weapons -- Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson.
The Raiders have the second-most money to spend in the league, with $95 million in cap space (according to Spotrac). Do they take a shot on Darnold as a franchise quarterback or as a bridge and wait for the 2026 NFL Draft -- which is already getting some attention for its superior quarterback talent?
If they were to grab Darnold, they can focus on building a foundation through the draft. Plenty of talented running backs, wide receivers, and pass rushers available in a league where those are a premium.
