It's no secret that most of the NFL world doesn't have very high expectations for the Las Vegas Raiders this season.
Many think the Raiders went with the lesser of the two evils when they declared Gardner Minshew II as their starting quarterback going into Week 1, as neither he nor Aidan O'Connell really set the world on fire in training camp or the preseason.
For that reason, some analysts believe Las Vegas should look for its future franchise quarterback in next year's NFL Draft.
ESPN insider Field Lates projected the Raiders to pick eigth in his recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft. He has Las Vegas selecting Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.
"It's no surprise that the Raiders are linked to a quarterback in Round 1 since the team has gone through a full offseason battle between Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew, who are each better suited to be a No. 2 option," Yates wrote. " ... Las Vegas ranked 26th in QBR last season (40.1) and needs a long-term answer.
"Ewers is a fun study with his smooth delivery and capacity to change arm angles to make creative throws. He has to be more consistent throwing downfield, but he can really carve up a defense with his intermediate accuracy. Ewers' functional mobility is also very good and allows him to work around the pocket effectively."
Ewers led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last season and was named a second-team All-Big 12 honoree. He was a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
Ewers threw for 3,479 yards and six touchdowns on 272 completions.
The third-year Texas quarterback is on the 2024 Davey O'Brian, Maxwell and Walter Camp Award watchlists. The Longhorns are currently fourth in the AP Top 25.
Yates doesn't have much faith in the Raiders' division rivals, the Denver Broncos, either. He has the Broncos picking third and choosing Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
It's possible the Raiders do go into yet another NFL Draft looking for a quarterback, but for now, their focus is on Minshew, who will take the field for his first regular season game as a member of the Silver and Black when the Raiders take on the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Week 1.
