The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league in 2025. There was some optimism around the team last offseason as they brought in a new head coach, general manager, and quarterback, but nothing has worked out.
The team now enters Week 17 with a 2-13 record and is once again in the running for a top pick in the draft. With that top pick, one writer believes the Raiders could select a rookie passer and end the Geno Smith experiment after one season.
Raiders Predicted to Draft Dante Moore to Replace Geno Smith
The Raiders added Smith in a trade last offseason with hopes that the veteran would stabilize the quarterback position. Smith was also reunited with head coach Pete Carroll, who the Raiders also brought in over the offseason.
Unfortunately, that duo has not delivered the same results it did in Seattle. PFSN’s QB Impact ranking gives Smith a 68.7 grade, which ranks 34th among 46 qualified quarterbacks.
As a result, it’s entirely possible the team could look for a replacement in the 2026 draft. PFSN’s own Ian Cummings recently posted a seven-round mock draft that features the Raiders selecting Oregon quarterback Dante Moore with the No. 2 pick.
Regarding that potential pick, Cummings offered the following analysis:
“At 6’3″, 208 pounds, Moore is a smooth athlete and a cool operator both in-structure and off-platform. For a younger quarterback (one-and-a-half years younger than Mendoza), he displays impeccable opportunity recognition, spatial processing, and situational precision, all magnified by his effortless velocity generation and angle freedom.
Moore’s profile is incredibly similar to that of C.J. Stroud, who was my QB1 in the 2023 NFL Draft cycle. He brings dual-sided distribution and creation elements that insulate his value across all situations. For Las Vegas, he’d represent the turning of the page to a more hopeful era of growth.”
As Cummings mentioned, Moore could signal the start of a new, more successful era for the Raiders. So far in the 2025 season, Moore has thrown for 3,046 yards with 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The quarterback has also led the Ducks to the College Football Playoff in his first season as the starter.
Moore’s college career began in 2023, when he played for the UCLA Bruins. Moore transferred to Oregon for the 2024 season and sat behind Dillon Gabriel. Overall, in college, Moore has accounted for 41 total touchdowns with 4,705 passing yards and 118 rushing yards.
Raiders Missing Playoffs for 4th Consecutive Season in 2025
It’s been a trying season for Raiders fans. The Raiders are the only team in the AFC with fewer than three wins heading into Week 17.
The good news is that the team has a chance to land the No. 1 pick. The Raiders and New York Giants are facing off in Week 17, and both teams are sitting at two wins.
Unless the Raiders win both of their remaining games, they will end with their worst record since the 2014 season at least. If they lose out, it will be the team’s first two-win season since 2006.
Whether it’s Dante Moore or someone else, it seems clear there will be some new players brought in to make an impact this offseason.
