Dec. 4, 2025, 9:11 a.m. PT
Quarterback is once again a big need for the Raiders going into the offseason. Yes, the offseason is still a month or so away, but being that the Raiders were officially eliminated from the playoffs last week, their offseason plans start now.
Just in time for that, Dane Brugler has put out his first 2026 mock draft in which he has the Raiders making an aggressive move to get their quarterback. But they’re not the only ones.
Currently the Raiders sit at fourth in the 2026 NFL Draft order and the Browns sit at five. In Brugler’s mock, the Browns make a trade with the Titans to get the number one overall pick. They take Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza there. Then the Raiders make their move, trading with the Giants to jump up two spots to number two to take Oregon’s Dante Moore.
Brugler explains his reasoning:
The Raiders’ acquisition of Geno Smith last offseason appeared sound at the time, but it hasn’t worked out. As with the Browns, it makes sense for the Raiders to be aggressive this offseason if they see a chance to land a long-term solution at the most important position on the roster.
In this mock, Las Vegas trades up two spots — and jumps the Saints — to secure its quarterback.
Moore is still just 20 years old and will have fewer than 20 career starts on his resume after this season. And, with Oregon’s NIL potential, he’ll also have plenty of reasons to stay in school. But could he pass up a potential spot in the top five? I continue to be impressed with the way Moore has responded to everything Oregon has put on his plate this season. His command of the offense and natural accuracy as a passer are strong selling points for the quarterback he will become in the NFL.
Getting a quarterback in this draft should be priority number one for the Raiders. For years now they’ve been just out of reach of landing one of the draft’s top quarterbacks and have been apparently unwilling to make an aggressive enough offer to move to to secure someone.
This past offseason, they acquired Geno Smith in trade with the Seahawks and there was no QB worth taking at sixth overall.
Two years ago, they sat at 13 overall and watched the top six quarterbacks come off the board ahead of them, including Oregon’s Bo Nix at number 12 to the rival Broncos. Nix has beaten the Raiders in all three meetings with them and is set to face them again this Sunday in Vegas.
The year before that, they took Tyree Wilson at seventh overall while the elite draft QB talent went 1-2.
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