The Las Vegas Raiders made a smart move getting veteran quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason, after their quarterback room has looked bleak this past season. That being said however, did the Raiders acquire a player that is a Top 15 quarterback entering the 2025 season?
The short answer: maybe. Smith has shown times where age is his best asset, learning and growing year by year. However, Smith had a stronger core of wide receivers last season in Seattle than the current Raiders do, given the offense runs through tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Smith ranked fourth last season in passing yards, earning himself 4,320 on the campaign. Not only is being a top quarterback in the passing yards department impressive, but it also marked a new career high for Smith as he begins his journey in Las Vegas.
Reuniting with head coach Pete Carroll should make the transition period easier for the aging quarterback, as the combination of the duo should keep Smith young given all the time they've worked with each other in the past.
After all, Smith has obtained an 88.0 passer rating throughout his career, and that's even with an average of 2.5 games played between 2015 and 2021. The turnaround for the new Raider quarterback from 2022 to the present is one of the better ones for an aging quarterback, but he might just slip out of the Top 15 conversation.
According to NFL.com writer Nick Shook's article in which he ranked all of the quarterbacks last season, Smith landing in spot 12, just missing out of the Top 10 but better than the Top 15 which is being proposed.
"Smith's 2024 season proved what we saw from him in 2023 wasn't a fluke. He's a veteran with an incredibly accurate arm, who's capable of making big-time throws with zero fear (check the Atlanta tape for proof) and going toe to toe with the league's best when the moment calls for it," Shook wrote.
"Considering the Seahawks finished the year outside of the playoff picture, Smith likely wishes he had some of those throws back. That all said, I do want to recognize him for his toughness; he played through a knee injury to finish the season, giving it his all so Seattle could battle for a tournament spot down the stretch."
