Predicted Raiders QB is painfully obvious if Shedeur Sanders doesn’t materialize

The Las Vegas Raiders understand finding a new starting quarterback has to be their top offseason priority. In a perfect world, Las Vegas can land Shedeur Sanders via their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The problem with that plan is that Sanders may not fall to the No. 6 overall pick where the Raiders are currently slated to make their pick.

That brings up the distinct possibility that the team will need to find their new signal caller via free agency. Sam Darnold happens to be the top quarterback slated to hit the open market assuming the Vikings don't opt to utilize the franchise tag to keep him in the fold.

Executives who spoke to ESPN believes that Minnesota will be too tempted to hand the starting job to J.J. McCarthy than to splash big money on Darnold. They believe it will be the Raiders who hand Darnold the keys to their offense next season. He may not command a salary that's at the top of the quarterback market but he will not sign on the cheap to help turn things around in Las Vegas.

NFL executives believe Raiders will sign Sam Darnold this offseason

Some Raiders fans might not be too enthused at the prospect of signing Darnold after his disastrous performance in the Vikings' playoff defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. That ignores just how poor their favorite team's quarterback play was last season. Darnold would be a significant upgrade over the likes of Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew.

The alternative for the Raiders would be to make an expensive move up the draft board to secure Sanders' rights. Both the Patriots at No. 4 and the Jaguars at No. 5 should be willing to move down in Round 1 if they can extract a heavy price for a team interested in taking a quarterback. Las Vegas might be well served to move up a few spots to make sure they get a potential franchise quarterback on a rookie deal.

But, one executive believes a trade-up would be the wrong move, considering the needs they have across their roster.

"At Pick 6, [the Raiders] are out of range for a quarterback unless they move up, which wouldn't be smart based on the amount of holes they have," a high-ranking personnel man of an NFL team said. "They need every pick. They have flexibility within the cap to get it done."

The good news for the Raiders is that Darnold should represent their floor at quarterback next year. That upgrade could be enough to get them back to respectability.