The Las Vegas Raiders must figure out some sort of solution at the quarterback position this offseason, because right now, it isn't looking good.
The Raiders fell to sixth in the NFL Draft order, which may have ruined their chances of landing Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. They could take a swing in free agency, but do they really want to open their wallets for Sam Darnold?
As a result, Las Vegas may have to get creative, which could potentially mean selecting a quarterback in the later rounds.
Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team thinks that is the route the Raiders may take, and he is projecting them to pick Alabama Crimson Tide signal-caller Jalen Milroe in the second round this April.
Milroe entered 2024 widely viewed as an elite first-round talent, but a rather rocky season torpedoed his draft stock.
After finishing sixth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2023, the 22-year-old threw for 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 64.3 percent of his passes this past year. He did rush for 726 yards while punching in 20 scores on the ground, but his passing stats were concerning.
In spite of Milroe's rough season, there is no question that the youngster has talent, and let's face it: the Raiders are probably better off going with Milroe than Aidan O'Connell or Gardner Minshew. Heck, it's probably also better than giving Darnold over $40 million per year.
Milroe has drawn some comparisons to Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts due to his dual-threat capabilities. Plus, both quarterbacks played for Alabama.
Of course, Hurts may be a generous comparison at this point, especially after the major step back that Milroe took in 2024. But there is no question that there are similarities in their games.
Las Vegas may want to consider selecting Milroe on Day 2 and experimenting to see what he has in 2025. If you're going to take a gamble, it's better not to do it in the first round, so the Raiders can absolutely afford to spend a second-rounder on the Crimson Tide product.
We'll see what Las Vegas decides to do under center in the coming months.