The Raiders continue to fall in the draft order, leading to more questions about the quarterback of the future
Normally, it’s viewed as a positive when a team plays its best football at the end of the season. However, in the Las Vegas Raiders’s case, winning consecutive games for the first time in 2024 hurts the organization’s long-term goals as the Raiders are sliding in the NFL Draft order after the Week 17 win against the New Orleans Saints.
That was a big topic of discussion in this week’s NFL Power Rankings roundup.
The Athletic
24. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
What’s next?: Not a quarterback, apparently
The Raiders have won two games in a row, so instead of having the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, they are sitting at No. 8, according to Tankathon. Is that going to be too low to get the quarterback of the future they so desperately need? Dane Brugler has only two quarterbacks being picked in the first round of his most recent mock draft and both of them — Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — go by No. 3. If Las Vegas goes into 2025 with incumbent Aidan O’Connell starting again, it won’t matter who the coach is. — Josh Kendall
As mentioned several times, this is the issue with the Raiders having back-to-back wins in late December. O’Connell has been solid but not good enough to suggest he should be handed the starting job this offseason. Barring a trade-up for Sanders or Ward, it’s starting to feel like Las Vegas will see who falls out from Minnesota, Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy, and target one of those two this spring.
NFL.com
27. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 29
The Raiders have followed up their 10-game losing streak with two straight wins, and they could make it three in a row in Week 18 against a Chargers team that might sit Justin Herbert and others. Bully for Antonio Pierce, who seemingly is fighting for his job as head coach. Now that the Raiders’ chances of landing the No. 1 overall draft pick have gone up in smoke, they might as well try to win out. Brock Bowers has been a revelation as a rookie, breaking Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old receiving record for first-year tight ends, and he figures to be a major piece for whoever coaches the team next year — and whoever ends up quarterbacking it. Aidan O’Connell deserves at least a shot at competing for that latter honor, although it wouldn’t be stunning to see the Raiders try to add someone of note to the QB room. — Eric Edholm
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Some more quarterback talk and I can agree with the statement about O’Connell. I mentioned in last week’s mailbag that he’s a decent bridge option for a young quarterback. However, if Las Vegas targets Darnold, that idea gets thrown out the window and it’s backup duties or a trade for the Purdue product.
ESPN
24. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 31
Biggest offseason contract situation to watch: Middle linebacker Robert Spillane
Spillane has been more than the leader of the Raiders’ defense; the middle linebacker has been its most dependable and productive player this season. Signed to a relatively inexpensive two-year, $9 million contract in March 2023, Spillane is in line for a raise, especially if the Raiders want to maintain some semblance of continuity on the defensive side of the ball. In two seasons of wearing the “green dot” for the Raiders, Spillane has five interceptions, 5.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in 33 games. — Paul Gutierrez
How much money Spillane will be looking for in free agency will play a big factor in Tom Telesco’s willingness to re-sign the linebacker, in addition to the fact he just turned 29 years old. Also, Divine Deablo is an impending free agent so Telesco has some decisions to make at linebacker this offseason. It’s important to remember that he wasn’t the general manager who brought Spillane and Deablo in.
Sports Illustrated
23. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 30
An underrated aspect of Brock Bowers’s multi-record breaking game on Sunday was the gap between targets and how he could involve himself in the game plan despite the way he was being covered. He was hit twice on the first two plays of the game and then was swallowed up by a fast-switching New Orleans defense that made some smart prohibitive moves. Just before halftime, though, Bowers saw Aidan O’Connell in trouble and extended an in-breaking route into a wide open swath of space and went vertical behind the nearest defenders to gain space. — Conor Orr
A Power Rankings roundup wouldn’t be complete without at least some Bowers love. The rookie tight end has already become one of the best players at his position in the league and it’s because of what was referenced above; he finds multiple ways to be productive.
Bleacher Report
27. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
The Raiders are winning too late in the season to make a playoff push, but head coach Antonio Pierce needs these victories. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Pierce’s future is in “serious doubt,” but back-to-back wins against bottom-tier teams with backup quarterbacks may not be enough to save his job. — Moe Moton
To Pierce’s credit, the Raiders easily could have packed it in for the season weeks ago and just played out the remaining games as a formality. However, unlike the other clubs around the league (*cough* the Jets *cough*), Las Vegas’ players haven’t quit and have been fighting hard despite being one of the first teams eliminated from the playoffs. That’s a testament to the head coach, but Mark Davis needs to consider the quality of opponents if he’s basing Pierce’s job security off the recent win streak.