Raiders Expected to Trade for Dual-Threat QB with 33 Rushing TDs

Many don’t believe the Las Vegas Raiders will be able to find a franchise quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft after they fell to No. 6 in the draft order. However, it’s a weak quarterback class and there may not even be one worth taking with a top-10 pick.

If the team decides to address another position at No. 6, that doesn’t mean the Raiders can’t still find a quarterback early. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe figures to be all over the place on draft boards but he certainly has the physical tools to be elite.

Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report predicted that the Raiders will end up skipping on at No. 6 and trade back into the first round to add Milroe.

“During the draft, the Raiders can make a splashy move for a quarterback who wouldn’t cost them multiple first-round picks,” Moton wrote in a Jan. 17 column. “After making their first pick at No. 6, they could trade back into the first round for Jalen Milroe, much like the Baltimore Ravens did to draft Lamar Jackson in 2018.

“While no one should expect Milroe to mirror Jackson’s career pathway, he could be an intriguing developmental signal-caller who can blossom into a starter. Milroe must be more patient when going through his reads from the pocket, but teams like the Raiders should be interested in his physical tools.”

Which Head Coach Candidate Is Fit With Jalen Milroe?

Whether or not Milroe is a good fit for the Raiders will largely depend on who the next head coach is. Considering how much work he needs before he’s ready to be a starter, he makes the most sense with an offensive-minded head coach.

The Raiders are supposed to interview Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken for their head coaching job and he’d be a great fit with Milroe. The Alabama quarterback has drawn comparisons to Lamar Jackson so why not pair Milroe with the coach who has been calling plays for the MVP the last two years?

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the early favorite to be the next Raiders head coach but he’s only worked with Jared Goff since he’s started calling plays, who is a pocket passer. It remains to be seen if he is interested in finding a quarterback with more mobility.

Is Milroe Worth a First-Round Pick?

Another question the Raiders will have to ask themselves is if Milroe is even worth a first-round pick. He was much better in his junior year than he was as a senior. He went from throwing 23 touchdowns with six interceptions in 2023 to throwing 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in 2024.

That said, he did have 20 rushing touchdowns this season, which is a huge number for a quarterback. In his career at Alabama, he rushed for 33 touchdowns.

What will be appealing about Milroe is that he played a lot of games in college (38) while playing against top SEC competition. He’s not as big of a project as somebody like Anthony Richardson. Milroe is a risky prospect but it’s much more appealing to take him late in the first round or in the second round if the Raiders are interested.