This past offseason, Pete Carroll and the Raiders made news by trading for the Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Geno Smith. The team has been lacking a consistent signal-caller since Derek Carr, so the trade made sense for the team.
However, going into Week 14, it’s a trade that the Raiders would like to take back. This season, Smith has been a non-factor and has arguably done more harm than good. With their 2-10 record, they’re slated to have a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and are predicted to pick one of the top quarterbacks in the draft.
Raiders Predicted To Trade Up for a Quarterback After Geno Smith Flop
PFSN writer Jacob Infante released his mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft. With the Raiders’ first pick, he predicted them to trade up to the second overall pick from the New York Giants. The Giants are expected to receive the fourth pick, the 35th pick, and a 2027 second-round pick, and the Raiders would receive the second overall pick.
With the second overall pick in the draft, the Raiders are predicted to take quarterback Dante Moore out of the University of Oregon.
In 26 games in his college career, Moore has completed 65.2% of his passes for 4392 yards, 35 passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and 15 interceptions. Moore started his collegiate career with UCLA before transferring and spending the next two seasons at Oregon. Currently, the Ducks rank fifth in the nation with a record of 11-1.
As for Smith, he’s been awful for the Raiders this season. In PFSN’s QBi, he ranks 28th with a letter grade of D+ and an impact score of 68.8. In 12 games, Smith has completed 253 of 376 passes for a 67.3% completion rate. In addition, he’s thrown for 2532 yards, 15 touchdowns, and a league-leading 14 interceptions.
MORE:Â 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Jets, Raiders Trade Up for Quarterbacks in Round 1
Like some other quarterbacks, Smith would be considered a late bloomer. He was initially drafted by the New York Jets with the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, but didn’t make an impact. Before joining the Raiders, he played for the New York Giants, the Los Angeles Chargers, and then the Seahawks.
With the Seahawks, he won the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year award and made two Pro Bowl appearances. After a few years with the Seahawks, he was traded to the Raiders this offseason and signed a two-year, $75 million contract extension.
Smith has never gotten into a groove with the Raiders, and it looks like the team is positioned to take a quarterback in the next draft.