Mock drafts point to a top QB prospect landing in Las Vegas. Will he be the franchise savior, or another high-stakes gamble?
At this rate, the Las Vegas Raiders bringing in a new quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft seems very likely.
There is a path to them getting the first overall pick, although bringing in a rookie in 2026 could be problematic for them.
Mike Renner of CBS Sports had another mock draft going into Week 16, and again, the Raiders are predicted to land a quarterback. In Renner's mock, he has Oregon star Dante Moore going to Las Vegas at No. 2 with Indiana QB and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza going first overall.
Here's what Renner wrote about Moore going to the Raiders.
"What Moore lacks in experience, he more than makes up for in calm aesthetics. He throws a beautiful football and is throw-for-throw the most accurate quarterback in this class. No one had more perfectly placed passes outside the numbers in this class than Moore. While he hasn't faced many top defenses or faced a ton of pressure, it's easy to see him developing into something special in the NFL."
Field Yates of ESPN also had the Raiders selecting Moore at No. 2 overall.
"Moore received immense hype after five starts as a true freshman at UCLA in 2023, but 2025 has been his true breakout year. While he has a slender build at 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, he has shown strong functional mobility and high-level downfield accuracy (third-best completion percentage in the FBS). He has a unique ability to change his arm angles when navigating pressure, too, making him a very creative quarterback overall," Yates wrote.
Of course, Moore needs to declare first, and he very well could return to Eugene for another season in hopes of becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist.
But, if he does declare, the Raiders make sense.
"Moore hasn't made his intentions clear about declaring, but there's little doubt he would go very high if does enter the 2026 draft. And for the Raiders, it's clear that Geno Smith is no longer a viable starter; he's tied for the league lead in interceptions (14) and has the second-lowest QBR (32.5). Moore could be the centerpiece for an offense that already has an elite pass catcher (Brock Bowers) and a potential star running back (Ashton Jeanty)," Yates added.
Right now, the Raiders are so close to having the worst record.
In fact, the Week 17 game against the also-2-12 New York Giants could have a lot at stake.