New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll understands how important getting the right quarterback it is for success in the modern NFL. That's why he needs to push his team to find that signal-caller in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The challenge for the Raiders is that the consensus No. 1 quarterback in this draft class, Cam Ward, will almost certainly be off the board when they go on the clock with the No. 6 overall pick. Scouts are split on the identity of the second best quarterback prospect. A scout recently told SNY that the next tier of signal-callers includes Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, and Jaxson Dart. He noted the lack of separation between that quartet of passers.
That runs contrary to the previous draft narrative that Sanders deserved to be included in Ward's tier. The former Colorado star has fallen further and further behind Ward as the pre-draft process has rolled along. The way things are going now it appears that the Raiders going for Sanders at No. 6 would represent a major reach in terms of draft value.
Las Vegas' front office cannot afford to make that kind of mistake. Instead of reaching for Sanders in Round 1, they need to choose which Round 2 quarterback they want to roll the dice on. None of the prospects in that second tier are nailed on to be starters, but each has their own unique set of skills that might appeal to a particular front office.
Quinn Ewers in the second round is better value for the Raiders than Shedeur Sanders
Ewers is the right prospect for the Raiders to take a chance on. He doesn't have a huge arm but he did a great job throwing off platform during his collegiate days at Texas. There's a lot of Bo Nix to his game. Nix's success as a rookie inside the Raiders' division gives them a clear idea of how Ewers can turn into a quality starter for a potential playoff team.
The biggest concern about Ewers heading into the NFL is his propensity to make dangerous throws down the field. That's something the Raiders' coaching staff should be able to coach out of him in time. Carroll has never been a coach who is averse to throwing the ball down the field. If the Raiders can get some big receivers for Ewers to target it might also help to lower his interception percentage.
Ewers is not a lock to turn into a starter but investing a second-round pick in his services would be a shrewd gamble by the Raiders. If he turns into a good starter then he's a steal in Round 2. If he struggles as a rookie, Las Vegas can target a more premium prospect in the 2026 draft.