The Las Vegas Raiders are more than content with their situation at quarterback. We have reported this constantly throughout the spring and these summer months. Head coach Antonio Pierce is high on quarterback Aidan O'Connell, as is the organization as a whole.
Offseason acquisition Gardner Minshew has proven to be a suitable competitor with O'Connell for the starting job, and the team is backing him as well.
The Raiders' quarterback situation continues to receive criticism from the media and has been consistently rated among the worst in the league, if not the worst. The Raiders have built a roster to win with whoever gets the starting job, but some still believe quarterback is an issue that should be addressed next season.
A recent mock draft from ESPN's Matt Miller had the Raiders selecting Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 2, after a mock trade-up to the spot.
"The Raiders went 8-9 last season, and the late-season 5-4 surge under coach Antonio Pierce didn’t have much to do with the quarterback play," Miller wrote. "The team had 20 passing touchdowns to 18 interceptions, as rookie Aidan O’Connell replaced Jimmy Garoppolo for 11 games. O’Connell may prove his status in Year 2, but the early read on Las Vegas is that it needs a quarterback. Sanders is a legitimate Heisman contender if Colorado can string together some wins. His accuracy, toughness and poise would make him a rookie starter for the Raiders and give the offense some much-needed swagger. He threw 27 touchdown passes to three interceptions for the Buffaloes last year."
Sanders could be the No. 1 quarterback taken in 2025, which many believe to be a weak class for the position, the opposite of a strong 2024 class. Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe and Drew Allar have promise, but there are a lot of question marks surrounding all of them, as there are for Sanders, too.
Of course, it is an early July mock draft. Albeit a ludicrous one. The season is yet to be played. And the Raiders have a roster even better than last season's 8-9 finish, and two capable quarterbacks that can potentially outperform what any media outlet's expectations are.
