There’s a chance that the Raiders head into the 2024 season with a starting quarterback who plays all 17 games, leads the team to the playoffs and secures his position as the team’s starter for the coming few years. Last year’s starter, Aidan O’Connell, could show improvement and fill that role. Or it could be free-agent signee Gardner Minshew, winning the job and doing just enough offensively to let the team’s formidable defense win games for the Raiders.
A more likely scenario, though, has the Raiders undecided between O’Connell and Minshew until late in the preseason, possibly flipping from one to the other during the season and coming back around after 2024 still looking for a more reliable QB1 option.
If that’s the case, then the team will be a looking at a much less robust class of quarterbacks than what we saw in 2024, but still with an opportunity to fill the hole. And at CBS Sports, they’re foreseeing the Raiders landing Texas star Quinn Ewers in 2025, making him the leader of the silver-and-black going forward.
Quinn Ewers a Top 2025 Prospect
In an early 2025 mock draft this week, writer Chris Trapasso predicts the Raiders will add Ewers next April, writing, “Ewers has the physical traits to go this high in the draft, and the Raiders will likely need to address the quarterback spot in 2025.”
Indeed, Ewers is a promising prospect. He was the No. 1 recruit in the nation in 2021, a five-star player coming out of Southlake Carroll High, and after a season at Ohio State, he transferred and has been at Texas ever since. He threw for 2,177 yards in his first season and came back with 3,479 yards last year, throwing 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
He finished last year strong, with 452 yards passing in the Longhorns’ Big 12 championship win over Oklahoma State, and 318 yards in the Texas loss to Washington in the CFB playoffs. In the second game of the season, at Alabama, Ewers was outstanding, leading a fourth-quarter comeback and finishing with 349 yards on 24-for-38 passing, with three touchdowns.
In a quarterback draft class expected to be much weaker than this year’s, Ewers has a chance to solidify himself as a top draft pick. Expect the Raiders to take notice.
Raiders Could Use Ewers’ Arm
Actually, there’s little doubt the Raiders have already taken notice. Ewers was manning the controls at the University of Texas pro day this year, where dozens of scouts and league personnel descended to watch incoming stars receivers Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy.
Ewers decided against coming out for the 2024 NFL draft, and is returning to school. But he earned plenty of attention with his throws at pro day.
CJ Vogel of On Texas Football wrote on Twitter/X: “Quinn Ewers had a perfect day throwing the ball at today’s Texas Pro Day aside from one single overthrow on a corner. Ewers was tremendous in front of 90+ NFL scouts and 3 NFL head coaches.”
Quinn Ewers had a perfect day throwing the ball at today’s Texas Pro Day aside from one single overthrow on a corner.
Ewers was tremendous in front of 90+ NFL scouts and 3 NFL head coaches.
At Pro Football Network, Ewers’ scouting report drums up his arm strength:
“High-end arm strength shows up when he’s able to fully drive and rotate his hips. Boasts quantifiably elite arm elasticity, with second nature angle adjustment skills. … Dangerous thrower on the run who can keep his shoulders level while floating laterally.”
Ewers is also adept at selling himself. He was the first collegian in history to earn a $1 million NIL deal when he signed on with the autograph company GT Sports Marketing in 2021, while he was headed to Ohio State.
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Raiders Predicted to Land ‘Dangerous’ 5-Star Quarterback