There are so many ways the Las Vegas Raiders can approach their huge roster issue this offseason. That roster issue is of course not having a competent quarterback. But, do they want a franchise quarterback or a veteran guy who is competent but may not be around very long? Those are the questions they have to ask themselves, and those are the questions that will be answered over the next few months.

Whatever they pick, they need a good quarterback. In the AFC West, with the Kansas City Chiefs having Patrick Mahomes, the Los Angeles Chargers have Justin Herbert, and the Denver Broncos have a promising QB in Bo Nix, the Raiders won't win without a good QB. It has to be done this offseason.

Now, I've made it known I'm not a huge fan of the Sam Darnold route. To me, it feels like it's essentially the same thing the Raiders have done the last two years with Jimmy Garoppolo and Gardner Minshew, just at a much larger scale. The Minnesota Vikings put Darnold in a system that he couldn't mess up, with pieces around him that complimented him perfectly. We have seen that he is on bad teams with bad rosters, and that's what this current iteration of the Raiders is.

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Now, getting Matthew Stafford is something I definitely think the Raiders should do. He's a proven star and one of the most talented passers this league has ever seen.

But if they grab Stafford, what approach should they take in the 2025 NFL Draft?

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Raiders' 2025 NFL Draft approach if they get veteran QB

It starts with the trenches. The Philadelphia Eagles showed us how to beat the Kansas City Chiefs, and that's through the trenches. The Raiders need to place a good offensive line around Stafford or whoever that veteran QB is. Their biggest need on the offensive line is at the guard position.

So, you can take Will Campbell at No. 6 if he's available and the best player available, or you can target a guard in the second or third round. But, three rounds maybe four is about where you get to the end of the list when it comes to serviceable guards in this draft class.

The other thing you have to do in this draft if you grab a veteran QB, is get a wide receiver in the first three rounds, maybe four. In a mock draft I did, I was able to take Texas Longhorns WR Isaiah Bond in the fourth. The Raiders can not rely on Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers to carry the entire load. They need other playmakers.

And that's when we come to our next biggest need if they go this route — the running back position. If you go the route of a veteran QB, you may want to take an RB in the first three rounds. In round three, you should be able to get guys like TreyVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, Tahj Boyd, and other good options.

The Raiders had the worst run game in the league last year because of the RB room, but also because of the offensive line and the blocking scheme they ran. Getting an RB and a guard addresses the needs they have to address to potentially fox the run game.

And lastly, if they go the route of a veteran QB, they need to draft a rookie. It shouldn't be in the first round. In fact, the only reason they should draft one in the second or third is if it's Jaxson Dart available, and even then I'm not sure he will be available there.

Get a guy like Jalen Milroe, or a project QB like that who can sit for a year or two and turn into a Jordan Love situation the Green Bay Packers now have.

This is the perfect plan, but how or if they execute it is a different story.

An intriguing quarterback option in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft just became more likely for the Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders own the sixth pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.  Their top need is clearly the quarterback position, but many believe there is a significant drop-off after the top two in this class: Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. So, if those two are gone by the time the Raiders […]