Raiders predicted to draft 110-TD quarterback to sit behind Geno Smith
Despite the fact that they acquired a starting quarterback in Geno Smith via trade with the Seattle Seahawks, the Las Vegas Raiders could still take a quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft.
That’s because Smith is set to turn 35 and has never proven he can lead a team to big things. Furthermore, Smith is only under contract through 2027, and the Raiders can cut him without pain prior to that season if things don’t pan out.
Top 5 pick-sixes in NFL postseason history ‘GMFB’
In a recent article predicting landing spots for several quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft, The Sporting News’ Bill Bender sees Ohio State signal-caller Will Howard ending up with the Raiders in the third round (No. 68 overall).
Howard (6-4, 236) increased his stock with a legendary playoff run for the Buckeyes. Howard passed for 4,010 yards, 35 TDs and 10 interceptions. He had 1,150 yards, eight TDs and two interceptions in the four-game playoff run. He has NFL size, and he averaged eight rushing TDs between Kansas State and Ohio State the last two seasons. On passes of 20 yards or more, Howard was outstanding in the intermediate passing game with 13 TDs and two interceptions, and he handled the pressure of playing at a national championship contender. He’s been linked to the Raiders from the jump – which feels a little too easy with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. We could see Howard landing with either the Browns or the Steelers in this round
During his collegiate career, Howard completed 63.8% of his passes for 9,796 yards and scored 110 total touchdowns (83 passing, 26 rushing and one receiving). In what was a National Championship campaign for the Buckeyes, Howard racked up 4,010 passing yards, 226 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns (35 passing) while completing an astounding 73% of his passes.
Of course, Howard is quite familiar with Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who served as his play-caller and quarterbacks coach at Ohio State in 2024. If anyone will know how to get the most out of Howard, it’ll be Kelly.
Howard has all the physical tools teams look for in a quarterback. He has fantastic arm strength and solid deep-ball accuracy, and he has plus athleticism that will allow him to escape the rush and extend plays at the next level.
While he’s got a ton of promise, it might take some time for Howard to reach his full potential, which is just fine if he lands with the Raiders. Smith can hold down the fort for a year or two while Howard develops without much pressure, and the hope would be that he’s ready to take the reins at some point in the next few years.
The trade for Smith made quarterback less of a need than it was originally, but that does not mean the Raiders shouldn’t be eyeing one later this month. Taking a Day 2 or 3 swing on a signal-caller makes total sense for Las Vegas.