The Las Vegas Raiders will have a high draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Whether it lands in the top five depends on how the Silver and Black finish their remaining games.
Nonetheless, if the Raiders do end up with a top-five pick, the question is, with the franchise needing a quarterback for the future, is there one that’s worth taking that high?
While the 2026 draft is still months away, NFL analyst Charles Davis gave bad news to Raiders fans hoping that drafting a quarterback with a high pick could be a way to move on from veteran Geno Smith.
“No, I do not,” Davis told Locked on Raiders host Q Myers, who asked if he has a quarterback who could go at the top of the 2026 draft. “I feel like we hear that every year, but this year was supposed to be a particular bonanza.
“And when preseason came, it was like a wealth of riches. Right now, where we’re sitting, the Indiana kid, [Fernando] Mendoza, is probably top of the food chain, but I don’t know that he’s top of the food chain. Like, ‘Hey, everybody’s got to go get him in the top five.’
“Right now, as we sit here, and there’s a long way to go, this could all change, and it always does… But we’re not going as we sit here today. This is not a day where we’re going to say, ‘Hey, all you quarterbacks go get fitted for a suit. You’re going in the top 10.’ Because that’s not happening.”
Geno Smith Comments on His Raiders Future
With the Raiders sitting at 2-10 and frustration over quarterback play, many expect this could be one-and-done for Smith. Nonetheless, while speaking to the media on December 3, the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback doesn’t sound too worried.
“I focus on the day-to-day and getting better every single day,” Smith told reporters (h/t Ryan McFadden of ESPN). “As a player, that’s all you can do. …I got a bright future. I know that for sure.”
Raiders Are Urged to Move On From Geno Smith
In Week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers, the veteran quarterback went 18-for-23 for 165 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception.
Following that performance, CBS Sports NFL analyst Damien Harris suggested it may be time for the team to move on from Smith this offseason, now that playoff hopes are officially over.
“A change of quarterback is what needs to happen,” Harris said on the November 30 edition of “CBS Sports HQ.” “That’s where this starts. Geno Smith has not been good all season long, whether it’s the turnovers or not seeing the field properly.
“They’re not finding ways creatively to get Ashton Jeanty going. Brock Bowers has been limited. At times, he’s been injured. When he plays, he still shows those flashes, but they’re just not doing enough to scheme that guy open and get the production out of him that you need.
“You get rid of one of your top receivers, Jakobi Meyers, and that leaves you depleted in the pass catcher position. In totality, this team needs to get better in a lot of areas, but the biggest place I’m circling with a red marker is quarterback.”
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