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While the Las Vegas Raiders prepare for the upcoming season, there could be some massive changes in terms of the quarterback position and who could be the face of the franchise. The 2025 NFL Draft should be stacked with talent, but according to the latest mock draft from Field Yates of ESPN, Texas football star Quinn Ewers has found his future with Las Vegas.
Yates slots the Raiders with the eighth overall pick as they take Ewers with him being the third quarterback off the board after players like University of Georgia's Carson Beck and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. He would cite the current quarterback battle on the team between Gardner Minshew (who was announced as the starter) and Aidan O'Connell, saying both are better as No. 2 options.
“It's no surprise that the Raiders are linked to a quarterback in Round 1,” Yates wrote. “since the team has gone through a full offseason battle between Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew, who are each better suited to be a No. 2 option. (Minshew was named the starter over the weekend.) Las Vegas ranked 26th in QBR last season (40.1) and needs a long-term answer.”
Quinn Ewers is a “fun study” for the Raiders per Yates
Last season for the Texas football team, Ewers threw for 3,479 yards to go along with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions as he's now heading into his third year with the program. Yates would talk about how he's a “fun study” as Ewers has electric traits such as his “smooth delivery” and “functional mobility.”
“Ewers is a fun study with his smooth delivery and capacity to change arm angles to make creative throws,” Yates wrote. “He has to be more consistent throwing downfield, but he can really carve up a defense with his intermediate accuracy. Ewers' functional mobility is also very good and allows him to work around the pocket effectively.”
Gardner Minshew starting for the Raiders in Week 1
While the future would look bright if they draft Ewers in the draft, they have this season to prepare for and while the incumbent starter in O'Connell fought valiantly, Minshew won the job as Las Vegas' starting quarterback. Selected to the Pro Bowl last year as part of the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas head coach Antonio Pierce said “a lot of factors” went in to the decision of the 28-year old being awarded the nod according to ESPN.
“A lot of things went into it,” Pierce said. “It wasn't based off of [solely] last night. There's a lot of factors. So, we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and that's what we're going with. We support him, our team's behind it, our staff's behind it, the organization's behind it.”
“The operation, the process and just everything we saw in practice,” Pierce continued. “Some of it showed up in the games. A lot of stuff we can get better at. I don't think anything here is a finished product but based off of where we want to go in the first quarter of the season, we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity.”
At any rate, the Raiders have one more preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers Friday before the Week 1 opener facing the Los Angeles Chargers.
