For the first two months following the conclusion of the 2024 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders were considered a threat to select one of the top two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft, whether that be trading up in order to pick Miami's Cam Ward, or sitting tight and using the 6th overall pick to take Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. However, that all changed when the Raiders struck a deal with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Geno Smith for the price of a 3rd round pick.
But the Geno Smith trade may not necessarily be a road block for the Raiders to select another quarterback in the later rounds of the NFL Draft. That includes Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, who despite an outrageously impressive pro day will still likely end up being a day two pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There are many around the league who view the Raiders as a team who could select Milroe and stash the high-upside dual-threat quarterback away for a couple of years before handing the reigns over to him.
“The expectation in some NFL circles is that Milroe will be best served sitting and learning for at least one but possibly more seasons at the NFL level. Some have suggested he follow a path similar to Jalen Hurts,” writes Dan Schneier of CBS Sports. “However, as NFL offenses continue to evolve, there may be a coordinator or coach who installs a system to fit Milroe's skill set.”
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That coordinator could end up being newly hired Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who has crafted offenses at both the college and pro level for talented dual-threat quarterbacks in the past. The arrival of Kelly is likely at least part of the reason why some draft analysts, including Chad Reuter of NFL.com, are starting to pencil Milroe in as the Raiders selection in the 3rd Round of this April's draft.
Selecting Milroe in the 3rd Round could end up being an optimistic assessment of where the Raiders believe they could get Milroe. With Lamar Jackson being a common comparison for Milroe, it's possible that a quarterback needy team will be willing to bet on Milroe's physical traits even earlier than the 3rd Round.
