It is no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders need a long-term solution at quarterback. While the franchise always knew this when they traded for an aging Geno Smith this offseason, that timeline has been sped up with how poorly he's played and how little success the team is having.
To make matters worse, the Raiders don't have a quarterback of the future currently on the roster. Aidan O'Connell and Kenny Pickett are fine backups, rookie sixth-rounder Cam Miller can hopefully turn into a solid second-stringer, but Las Vegas is lost for answers when it comes to a starter.
While the 2026 class of college quarterbacks is not as heralded as others in recent memory, there are still a handful of difference-makers set to declare before next April. Raider Nation will surely love who was projected to land in Las Vegas in the latest mock draft.
Raiders land Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in 2026 NFL mock draft
Following Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season, CBS Sports' Mike Renner released a brand-new 2026 mock draft. With the Raiders picking fifth overall, he had Las Vegas selecting Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.
"While the Indiana game was tough, Moore bounced back with his best performance of the season against Rutgers. He's got such a talented arm that it's hard not to see him getting drafted highly -- it's more just a matter of when at this point," Renner wrote. "With the Raiders having Geno Smith under contract, they can afford to take someone like Moore, who hasn't played a ton of football, to develop in the background."
Moore is thought to be one of the three best signal-callers in this year's draft class, so Raider Nation is excited to see him mocked to Las Vegas. The franchise has not taken a quarterback in the first round since 2007, so this would both snap an unheard-of streak and provide plenty of excitement.
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There is one snag with this, however, which is the fact that Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was Moore's coach at UCLA during his freshman college campaign, and the two have a questionable relationship, at best.
But there is a chance that Kelly doesn't last the season, or that he's let go when the year ends. That would pave the way for a new offensive coordinator who has no prior history with Moore to enter the fold. Or, the feud between the two is either overblown or water under the bridge at this point.
Regardless, the Raiders desperately need a young signal-caller on the roster, whether Moore starts right away or earns his stripes under Smith. They could do a lot worse than Moore, who is averaging just under 250 passing yards per game and has 19 touchdowns to just four interceptions in 2025.
Smith is technically under contract through the end of the 2027 season, but his deal is structured so that Las Vegas can easily move on from him after next year. This could open the door for Moore to be the starting quarterback for the Silver and Black for a long, long time.