LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After a week of interviews and four days of drills, the NFL Combine has wrapped up in Indianapolis.
While the quarterback position in this year's draft class is considered relatively weak, it was a main event of the event, per usual.
Top college signal callers slinging it across the yard at Lucas Oil Stadium was of particular interest to the Las Vegas Raiders amid the team's QB search.
Holding the 6th overall pick in late April's draft, the Silver and Black's new head coach-general manager duo of Pete Carroll and John Spytek were there in-person to evaluate the field.
▶ Watch Pete Carroll, John Spytek address Raiders offseason plans ahead of NFL Combine
“It’s great to see these kids come out here and compete," Spytek told NFL Network's Peter Schrager. "These quarterbacks who haven’t worked with these receivers, they just let it rip, these guys run fast. And what a group of running backs.”
“It means more now," touted Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders told NBC's Pro Football Talk. "I was able to bump my head and have different life experiences to get me to this point, to be able to change these different programs. That’s why I know I’m ready and I’m prepared and I know I’m the best quarterback available.”
“It would mean a lot, especially with the coaching staff they have with Chip Kelly," Miami QB Cam Ward, considered the premier passer of this draft, said about the possibility of the Raiders selecting him. "The things he can do with a quarterback, moving him out of the pocket, the concepts he does in the intermediate game, it can fit my play style. Pete Carroll, he’s a legendary coach. If I’m lucky enough to go there, I know it’ll work out."
Like any year, the combine arriving means an influx of reports and rumors, especially surrounding quarterback-needy teams. While much of the buzz is hearsay and some of it is surely smoke, it has Raider Nation watching closely.
After the Raiders swung and missed on efforts to trade for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, the team is now reportedly turning their attention to options in free agency in the draft.
▶ Related QB Matthew Stafford gets a restructured contract and agrees to stay with the Los Angeles Rams
“I think they’re going to take a number of swings in a number of ways to fill that quarterback position up," ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said on SportsCenter Saturday. “The first way is free agency. I think one of these quarterbacks is going to find his way to Las Vegas.”
The signal callers Schefter referred to were Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold and Steelers quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Considered the most prized free agent quarterback of this year's free agency cycle, Sam Darnold awaits a decision from Minnesota on if he will be re-signed or be given the franchise tag.
NFL Network host Rich Eisen, who heard the Raiders were 'way in' on Stafford, said on his show Monday that Darnold may not end up hitting free agency after all.
"The Vikings plan A at quarterback, I heard at the combine from multiple people, is to sign Sam Darnold and for more than one year," Eisen said on The Rich Eisen Show.
Darnold, who helped lead the Vikings to 14 wins in 2024, may be too expensive for Las Vegas. Despite having the 2nd-most cap space in the NFL, the Raiders reportedly won't be able to meet the 27-year-old's expected price tag of $40-50 million annually.
"If the Raiders don't land Stafford, it's unlikely that they'll make a large financial commitment to another veteran quarterback expected to be available this offseason," The Athletic's Dianna Russini said.
Other veteran free agent options that aren't being linked to Las Vegas as often as Darnold, Fields, or Wilson include Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins. Broncos backup, former Jets 2nd-overall pick has been tied to the Raiders as a possible reclamation project.
Raiders
News over Super Bowl weekend sparks speculation about Raiders' future at QB
Even if the Raiders ink a free agent to a deal, some insiders believe the team won't be finished adding to their quarterback room.
“When Pete Carroll was in Seattle, in the same offseason he signed Matt Flynn away from Green Bay, he drafted Russell Wilson, he traded for Charlie Whitehurst, he took a number of swings at the quarterback position," Schefter said. "It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Raiders do the very same thing.”
If the Raiders elect to draft a quarterback, be it at No. 6 or later on in the draft, the team has a shortlist of options that could realistically start as early as their rookie season.
At the combine, Shedeur's stock took a hit as more insiders heard that Deion Sanders' son is viewed as a distant second to Ward as the draft's top passer.
Ohio State's national champion quarterback Will Howard, who played under Kelly, struggled in on-field drills and drew discouraging measurables.
Ward's stock has gone up in recent weeks with many insiders believing the Raiders would need to trade up to acquire his services. Other quarterback-needy teams ahead of Las Vegas in the order are the Titans, Browns, and Giants.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers impressed in his workout and reportedly has the Raiders' interest. Other passers who could be of interest to Las Vegas include Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart, Alabama's Jalen Milroe, and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel.
Notably, Dart is the former high school teammate of Raiders center, 2024 2nd-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson.
If the Raiders choose to use their 1st-round pick on a non-quarterback, the most popular option being mocked to Las Vegas is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
With more questions than answers regarding the 2025 Las Vegas Raiders, the future will begin to become more clear when free agency kicks off on March 12, the first day of the new league year.
