Why the Raiders Have a Make-or-Break Offseason

The Las Vegas Raiders have several critical decisions on the horizon.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek on radio row during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With one of the top draft picks and money to spend in free agency, the Las Vegas Raiders have a legitimate chance to make significant progress this offseason.

Raiders' Future

Field Yates of ESPN recently released a mock draft for the upcoming NFL Draft. He believes the Raiders will finish with the second overall pick and select a quarterback. Doing so would give Las Vegas one of the best quarterbacks entering the league, along with a talented pieces around him.

"[Dante] Moore received immense hype after five starts as a true freshman at UCLA in 2023, but 2025 has been his true breakout year. While he has a slender build at 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, he has shown strong functional mobility and high-level downfield accuracy (third-best completion percentage in the FBS). He has a unique ability to change his arm angles when navigating pressure, too, making him a very creative quarterback overall," Yates said.

"Moore hasn't made his intentions clear about declaring, but there's little doubt he would go very high if does enter the 2026 draft. And for the Raiders, it's clear that Geno Smith is no longer a viable starter; he's tied for the league lead in interceptions (14) and has the second-lowest QBR (32.5). Moore could be the centerpiece for an offense that already has an elite pass catcher (Brock Bowers) and a potential star running back (Ashton Jeanty)."

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Devin White (45) during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Raiders must address their quarterback position and their offensive line. While Moore would be a solid option with their first round pick, the Raiders should be more locked in on pending free agent offensive linemen that they can sign to help solidify the worst offensive line in the league.

Las Vegas will likely have an eye on a quarterback in the draft, but it still must work through its quarterback issues over the final month of the season. On Thursday, Raiders Interim Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson noted what Kenny Pickett does well ahead of his first start for the Raiders.

Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) reacts against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

"Well, really, he's shown mobility. Even in college, he did a lot of things there with his legs. So, he gives us that part of his game, maybe, not that Geno [Smith] isn't mobile, but the ability to escape and run and create and do some of those things. So, that's what we saw, obviously, Sunday, and we expect that going forward, and that's part of his game and part of who he was as a player when he came out of college,” Olson said.

"Positives. He had, I think, six or seven completions in a row down the stretch. He managed it in a very difficult situation. He had two two-minute situations and scored 10 points. So, it was good to see. He's had some rapport, obviously, with Shed [Shedrick Jackson] running the show team and the scout team in practice over the last six months. He's got a lot of work with Shed, so that was good to see those two connect. He's just done a good job and just stayed involved." 

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