What Are Raiders’ Options For QB After 1st Round?

The Las Vegas Raiders have options if they don't want to draft a quarterback with the sixth overall pick. One of those options is Will Howard, whom they can target early in the second round.

Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales (left) interviews Ohio State quarterback Will Howard (QB07) during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders needed to get a quarterback they could trust for next season. With Pete Carroll as their new head coach, they went after someone who he was comfortable with and knew very well, Geno Smith.

Smith isn't going to come in and make this team a contender, but he is a definitive improvement over Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. He may push this team to a playoff push next season, but Smith isn't their future.

He'll be 35, and while I believe he can lead a productive offense in Las Vegas and breathe some new life into this team, they cannot go into the draft with the idea that they have their quarterback situation all figured out.

The Raiders have the sixth overall pick, and it's possible they may not even be able to draft a quarterback without trading up. However, what if they weren't even interested in drafting a quarterback at six in the first place?

After all, so many teams ahead of them are needy for so many other positions; someone like Ashton Jeanty or Mason Graham may fall right into their laps. This roster won't be set up for success simply by drafting a quarterback, there are so many other positions this team needs to figure out.

If the Raiders aren't able to or simply go another direction with their high draft pick, what options remain for them in the rest of the draft for the possible quarterback of the future? Their next pick is the 37th one in the second round, which means they can select a prospect relatively quickly.

A perfect candidate for them to target at this position is Will Howard, a quarterback coming from Ohio State University. In 2024, he had 4,010 yards with 35 touchdowns and ten interceptions. He led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship, in what was a prolific passing offense.

He's not one of the top quarterback prospects in his class, but he has displayed that he can show up and show out in the biggest moments, and he can sit behind Smith for a year or two before the Raiders employ him as their full-time starter.

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