The Las Vegas Raiders had many chances to draft a potential successor to Geno Smith in the 2025 NFL Draft. They passed on quarterbacks like Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe and Quinn Ewers several times.
They did end up drafting Cam Miller in the seventh round, but he projects to be a career backup. Smith is only 34, so he should be productive for at least a couple more years, so adding a developmental quarterback this year may have been too early.
However, if Smith struggles in 2025 or is just average, the Raiders could be aggressive in adding a quarterback next year. While the 2025 NFL Draft is barely cold, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report put together a 2026 mock draft.
He believes the Raiders will select Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik with the No. 9 pick.
“The offseason acquisition of veteran Geno Smith allowed the Las Vegas Raiders to bypass the quarterback position during the early portions of the 2025 draft class. Smith isn’t a long-term solution, though,” Sobleski wrote. “He turns 35 later this year, and the Raiders can get out of his contract relatively easily after the upcoming season. …
“When Klubnik is rolling and making good decisions, he’s an excellent distributor. He simply can’t let one bad moment snowball, which tends to happen in his game. Even if the Raiders want to keep Smith around for the 2026, Klubnik remains on the board as a long-term possibility to eventually take over the offense.”
Scouting Report on Klubnik
Klubnik would need a strong 2025 college season to cement himself as a top-10 pick. Had he entered this year’s draft, he likely wouldn’t have been selected in the first round.
In Bleacher Report’s scouting report of Klubnik, they praised his athleticism, but are worried about how he plays when he’s pressured.
“Klubnik still struggles when defensive pressure gets home. If he is not able to counter with his athleticism, his decision-making remains questionable,” BR NFL Scouting Department wrote. “He will put the ball in harm’s way for potential turnovers. Klubnik is still learning to trust his eyes and progressions. There are moments where he is stuck on a covered receiver but does not pivot to find a wide-open receiver down the field. Klubnik’s next step of development is handling post-snap defensive rotations and changes. He excels when the defense runs what they display pre-snap. When the picture changes, Klubnik struggles to process the new information quickly.
“Overall, Cade Klubnik is a talented quarterback prospect with serious starting potential. Klubnik’s dual-threat skill set will give defenses plenty to worry about. As he continues to develop his passing game from the pocket, Klubnik offers a potential franchise QB ceiling.”
Wait & See How 2025 Plays Out
It’s clear that the Raiders believe in Smith for at least one season. They traded a third-round pick to get him and gave him a two-year contract extension. However, their biggest endorsement of him was choosing not to draft a quarterback in the first six rounds.
It’s clear that the Raiders want to see how the 2025 season plays out before they write Smith off as a long-term option. They’ll have a much better idea of what the future of the position should look like after this season.
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