The 2025 NFL season did not go to plan for the Las Vegas Raiders. Las Vegas is 2-11 heading into Week 15 and they've already fired OC Chip Kelly, signaling that the season is already doomed. Now many Raiders fans, and the national media, have their eyes on what the future may hold for the team.
ESPN's Field Yates released a first-round 2026 NFL mock draft on Wednesday. He predicted that the Raiders will use the second overall pick on a new franchise quarterback in Oregon's Dante Moore.
“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.”
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza went off the board at number one, preventing the Raiders from snagging him.
The big caveat here is that Moore has not made it clear whether he intends to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, Yates insists that Moore would be a high pick in 2026 if he were to declare.
Do the Raiders need to move on from Geno Smith after the 2025 season?
Geno Smith could easily be one-and-done in Las Vegas.
Yates explains why the Raiders need to move on from the veteran QB while making the case for a rookie like Moore.
“It's clear that Geno Smith is no longer a viable starter; he's tied for the league lead in interceptions (14) and is second worst in 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),” Yates wrote.
It will be fascinating to see what the Raiders do at the quarterback position this offseason. Especially if Pete Carroll is no longer the head coach.
But for now, Las Vegas simply needs to finish out the regular season.
Next up for the Raiders is a Week 15 matchup against the Eagles.
