Latest NFL mock draft shows just how short-lived Raiders Gardner Minshew experiment will be

The Las Vegas Raiders made the expected decision at quarterback, opting to start veteran Gardner Minshew in Week 1. There was a brief flurry of preseason buzz around sophomore Aidan O'Connell, but the Raiders didn't pay Minshew $12.5 million annually to sit on the bench and hold an iPad. O'Connell is waiting in the wings — a slow start could spark change — but Minshew was always going to get the nod.

Minshew's contract is for two years and $25 million. He's coming off the best season of his career, stepping in for the injured Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. That earned Minshew his first Pro Bowl berth, and the Colts just narrowly missed the playoffs. Some will chalk it all up to the offensive genius of Shane Steichen, but Minshew has long been one of the most dependable journeyman QBs in the NFL. He's good!

Now, "good" at the quarterback position doesn't always get you very far. There are plenty of solid NFL QBs, and many are stuck on bad teams with rotten infrastructure (let's all pour one out for Jacoby Brissett tonight). Las Vegas has some real firepower in Minshew's orbit, from Davante Adams to Brock Bowers, but the Raiders have much to prove on that end. New OC Luke Getsy doesn't carry the best track record from his Chicago days and Antonio Pierce, ever the defensive mind, is still relatively inexperienced in the head coach's chair.

All that is to say, the Raiders will probably experience their share of peaks and valleys this season. It won't be smooth sailing, and Minshew probably won't have the fandom (or the front office) convinced that he in their long-awaited savior in the QB role.

That brings us to the latest NFL mock draft from Bleacher Report, which has the Raiders boldly embracing a new direction at QB in 2025.

Raiders select Georgia QB Carson Beck in new mock draft

Selecting seventh overall, Las Vegas selects Georgia quarterback Carson Beck in B/R's preseason mock. That would make Beck the second QB off the board, with Colorado sensation Shedeur Sanders mocked No. 4 overall to the Giants.

There is an open debate as to which quarterback will emerge as the top arm in next year's draft. That generally signals a weak class; there isn't a Caleb Williams or Drake Maye to lead the charge in 2025. Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Texas' Quinn Ewers are among the other names that could cross Las Vegas' radar at some point. It will ultimately depend on how well (or poorly) the Raiders finish the season. The No. 7 pick signals a rather poor performance, which will raise questions beyond the quarterback position. Antonio Pierce set the bar high with a successful interim stint last season, but success in such a short timeframe is a double-edged sword. If Las Vegas can't back it up, fans (and the front office) may get restless.

All that said, Beck is a great outcome for the Raiders. He profiles as the safest QB bet in next year's draft, playing for college football's premier program and experiencing success at the highest level. Beck has your prototypical QB tools — 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, with a canon out of the pocket. NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah compared him to Eli Manning as a prospect.

He won't offer a ton of mobility, but Beck has the size and arm talent to lead a dynamic NFL offense one day. The Raiders would also be reuniting Beck with his favorite target in Brock Bowers. Their synergy would give the Las Vegas offense a solid foundation moving forward.

Beck has unquestionably benefitted from the absurd depth and talent of UGA's offense, but few programs have turned out more impact NFL players in recent years. Beck has more NFL stuff to his game than Stetson Bennett, for example, and he should get plenty of big-game experience on his resumé before his second season as a starter is out.

The Raiders were mentioned ad nauseam as a potential landing spot for various quarterbacks during this year's draft cycle. JJ McCarthy. Michael Penix. Bo Nix. They were all destined for Sin City at one point or another. In the end, Las Vegas was situated too deep into the first round to land their next signal-caller. The 2025 draft presents a prime opportunity to address that.