The Las Vegas Raiders were getting heavily linked to quarterbacks ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Even with the offseason trade for Geno Smith, it looked like the team wanted to add a developmental prospect to learn behind him.
The Raiders decided to hold off and drafted former North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller in the seventh round, but his ceiling is likely just being a backup. The contract Las Vegas gave Smith would suggest they don’t view him as a long-term option.
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That said, he’ll likely at least be around through the 2026 season. That could make drafting a quarterback early next year a possible scenario.
South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers.Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
In NBC Sports’ way-too-early mock draft for 2026, Eric Froton projects the Raiders to select South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers with the No. 7 pick.
“Sellers (6-3, 242 pounds) has the prototype dimensions and arm strength NFL franchises covet in their QB1,” Froton wrote. “He got acclimated to the college game in his first season as a starter, completing 65% of his passes while holding onto the ball for an average of 3.30 seconds per pass, which needs to come down. All the tools are in place for Sellers to emerge in Year 3.”
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Sellers is a very interesting prospect. He has the physical tools to be a high-end quarterback, but he only has one year of starting at the college level. Having him go this high in the draft suggests that he’ll have a breakout year in 2025 for the Gamecocks.
If that happens, he’d be a logical quarterback to place behind Smith and let him sit for a year or two.
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