Not much has gone right for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. Entering Week 13, the team is at the bottom of the AFC West with a 2-9 record. It’s been disappointing considering the team brought in legendary head coach Pete Carroll and veteran quarterback Geno Smith this offseason.
Smith was supposed to bring stability, but the quarterback has struggled mightily instead. As a result, the Raiders will have a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and could look to add Smith’s replacement.
Raiders Predicted To Add SEC QB in 2026 Draft
Jacob Infante of PFSN recently published an updated 2026 mock draft. In the mock, Infante has the Raiders selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 5 pick.
Regarding this potential pairing, Infante offered the following:
“Going into Week 13, Geno Smith is tied for the most interceptions thrown in the NFL this season with 13 picks in just 11 games. That high of a turnover rate is unacceptable for the Las Vegas Raiders, which could lead them to target a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. Ty Simpson is another one-year starter in college, but he’s pretty advanced given his limited playing time.”
He added, “A backup to Jalen Milroe last year, Simpson isn’t quite as athletic or has as strong an arm as his predecessor, but he’s a much more polished passer, and Alabama’s offense looks much better because of it. He identifies soft spots in zone coverage well and exploits them accordingly. He does a good job of finding the open man, and he’s an accurate thrower of the football.”
As Infante mentioned, Smith is tied for the league lead in interceptions, and that’s not going to cut it, especially after the team gave Smith a sizeable two-year extension last offseason.
PFSN’s QB Impact ranking gives Smith a 68.6 grade for his performance so far in 2025, which ranks 29th out of 40 qualified passers.
Meanwhile, Simpson has impressed in his first year as the starter for Alabama. In 11 games so far, Simpson has thrown for 2,934 yards with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions.
The young passer has also rushed for 225 yards and five scores in his college career. Simpson has the Crimson Tide sitting at 9-2 and firmly in the College Football Playoff race.
In Las Vegas, Simpson could potentially start out behind Smith before ultimately taking over during the 2026 season. Alternatively, if the team is comfortable, Simpson could start, and Smith could be released. The Raiders would have to eat over $18 million in dead cap if they cut Smith after the 2025 season.