The Raiders are all but certainly drafting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall draft pick next month, setting up a new era in Las Vegas.
The Raiders have struggled to find a strong starting quarterback ever since Derek Carr left the franchise after the 2022 season. The team tried out three starting quarterbacks in 2023, then two new ones the following year. Last season, Geno Smith landed with Las Vegas to join former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. The Smith–Carroll experiment was a major failure, as the Raiders finished with the worst record in the league, 3–14. Carroll was fired, and Smith was traded to the Jets.
