NFL Mock Draft: 3-round Raiders projection after hiring Pete Carroll as head coach

He may not have been the team's first choice, but the Las Vegas Raiders have finally found their man, agreeing to terms on Friday with Pete Carroll to become the team's new head coach. Carroll certainly comes with some red flags, from his age (73) to how messy things got by the end of his time with the Seattle Seahawks. But he's won just about everywhere he's been in his coaching career, he still knows how to coach defense and, perhaps most importantly of all, he'll bring a level of seriousness and culture to a franchise that's been wandering in the wilderness for most of this millennium.

Now, the question becomes: What will Carroll prioritize as he looks to supplement a Raiders roster that is probably more talented than its reputation suggests? Vegas has some building blocks already in place, but there are also some key pieces moving on in free agency, and this offense appears to need a more or less total overhaul. Nailing the 2025 NFL Draft will be critical if Carroll wants to get this team back to contention quickly.

Round 1: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

As things stand, Vegas is too far back in the first round to expect either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders to fall into their laps. It's entirely possible that the team could swing a trade to move into position for its QB of the future, but remember that Carroll comes from the Seattle Seahawks, where GM John Schneider was notorious for hardly ever moving up in the draft (especially in the first round).

Instead, the Raiders could just stay put and draft whichever player falls to them at sixth overall — which could be for the best, if Ward and Sanders go within the first two or three picks. Whoever the team finds to play quarterback in 2025 and beyond, they're going to need some more receivers to throw to, and McMillan is the consensus top wideout in this year's draft. The former volleyball star is a physical freak at 6-foot-5, 212 pounds, and he combined that size with ridiculous ball skills to become a red-zone menace at Arizona. If he polishes the rest of his game, he could be a star, and he'll bring a much-needed vertical dimension to this passing game.

Round 2: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama

Carroll had a dual-threat quarterback in Russell Wilson during his glory days in Seattle, so why not take a swing at finding another? Maybe Milroe will put himself into first-round consideration with a strong pre-draft process, as his physical tools are as loud as anybody's. But his tape at Alabama this season was pretty rough at times, and his inconsistencies from the pocket may cause him to fall a bit.

He's a truly special athlete, though, and arm talent has never been the issue. Pair him with a coach who can sand down his edges and accentuate his strengths, and he could take off. If he falls into the Raiders' lap, he'd be a worthy gamble here.

Round 3: Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia

You could argue for a running back here, and there are also holes on the defensive line and at safety. But neither Robert Spillane nor Divine Deablo are under contract for 2025, and you know Carroll will want to find the sort of linebacker who can play both the run and the pass like he had with the Seahawks. There might not be another Bobby Wagner in this draft — that's a very high bar to clear — but Mondon has excellent range and was great in both man and zone coverage during his career at Georgia.

Size is an issue, and he'll have to grow into run defense at the professional level. Get him into a weight room, though, and he could blossom into an every-down starter.