The Las Vegas Raiders need to address the quarterback position at some point during the 2025 offseason. While signing a player from the free agent market is one way to add a signal-caller, many feel that the Raiders must select a college quarterback to develop otherwise the first draft of the Pete Carroll era will be deemed a failure.
Chad Reuter of NFL Network, however, is not one of those people as his latest mock draft has the Raiders passing on several quarterbacks in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. Las Vegas certainly has other holes to fill on the roster, but Reuter's suggestion of drafting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden in the first two rounds would not fix the team's underlying issue.
While both Jeanty and Golden had exceptional college seasons in 2024, neither of these players would likely add the same value that a quarterback could. Reuter is operating under the assumption that Las Vegas will sign a veteran quarterback in free agency and that Jeanty will be a mere luxury pick.
"If the Raiders opt to ride with a veteran quarterback next season -- someone like Sam Darnold or Russell Wilson -- I'd expect the team's new regime to use this pick on an offensive weapon," wrote Reuter. "Vegas missed having a bell-cow back this past year, and Jeanty's combination of vision, balance, speed and power project for him to have a highly productive NFL career."
While it is true that the Raiders had the worst rushing attack in the entire NFL last season, this year's running back class is supposed to be the deepest in recent memory. The team could grab an effective back in the middle rounds and use one of their earlier picks on a quarterback like Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe, or Dillon Gabriel, all of whom Reuter had them passing on.
