If the season ended today, the Raiders would be selected fourth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Would that be high enough in the NFL Draft order for Las Vegas to get one of the franchise signal-callers it wants, and that could help change the Raiders' long-term future?
At the start of Week 12 of the season, ESPN released an updated 2025 NFL Mock Draft. ESPN's Matt Miller projects this to trade two slots and secure the No. 1 overall draft pick .
With the No. 1 overall pick, Miller predicted the Giants would draft quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Miller then predicts that the would put Sanders' Colorado teammate, wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, at No. 2.
Just ahead of Las Vegas at number 3, Miller presents the draft list of the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
With Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and Kelvin Banks Jr. off the roster, Miller expects the Raiders to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 4 overall pick.
The Raiders missed it Shedeur Sanders in this mockery, exactly the same the six first-round quarterbacks in the 2024 draft. But they would get the second-best QB in the 2025 draft in Ward. He has demonstrated the ability to increase velocity from the pocket and on off-platform throws, allowing him to make throws that few college quarterbacks would even attempt. At 6'3″ tall and weighing 100kg, he also has the physique to excel as a runner when the pocket collapses.
With 54 starts on his resume, Ward should be ready to step in immediately and lead a Raiders team desperate for a new signal-caller after struggling Gardner Minshew And Aidan O'Connell this season. – Miller, ESPN.
This pick would certainly excite Raiders fans as they hope for a quarterback like Ward who can change Las Vegas' compass toward a championship.
Ward is enjoying a storybook campaign with the Miami Hurricanes during the 2024 college football season. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound signalman completed 66.8% of his passes, threw for 3,494 yards and 32 touchdowns and was intercepted just six times.
Under Ward's leadership, Miami (9-1) is currently ranked No. 8 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and is the favorite to win the ACC Championship.
The possibility of this election becoming a reality became even more likely after Thursday Night Football. The Cleveland Browns (3-8) stunned them (8-3), 24-19.
With the Browns ahead of the Raiders in the 2025 NFL Draft order heading into Week 12, that only increases Las Vegas' chances of finishing in the top three and finding the franchise quarterback it's looking for.