Las Vegas Raiders Could Replace Geno Smith With Dynamic QB

The Las Vegas Raiders, under new head coach Pete Carroll and with two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith acquired in the offseason, have stumbled to a 2-5 record through seven games in the 2025 season.

Their offensive woes were glaring in a 31-0 shutout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where they managed a franchise-low 95 yards of total offense.

Running just 30 offensive plays—the second-fewest in NFL history, behind only the 1999 expansion Cleveland Browns—the Raiders recorded three first downs, zero third-down conversions, and held the ball for a mere 17 minutes and 52 seconds.

Struggling as one of the NFL’s weakest offensive units, Las Vegas ranks 28th in total offense, averaging 276.4 yards per game, and has the league’s second-worst scoring offense at 14.7 points per game.

Geno Smith’s performance has been a key factor, as he’s tied for the NFL lead with 10 interceptions and his 77.4 passer rating places him 22nd among starting quarterbacks this season.

This has led CBS Sports’ Mike Renner to predict that the Raiders will target Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, a dynamic college prospect, with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“While the Indiana game was tough, Moore bounced back with his best performance of the season against Rutgers,” Renner wrote. “He’s got such a talented arm that it’s hard not to see him getting drafted highly — it’s more just a matter of when at this point. With the Raiders having Geno Smith under contract, they can afford to take someone like Moore, who hasn’t played a ton of football, to develop in the background.”

Adding intrigue to Moore’s potential selection is his connection to Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

In 2023, Kelly, then head coach at UCLA, recruited Moore, a five-star quarterback and the No. 4-ranked prospect nationally, to the Bruins. Although their time together was brief before Kelly moved to Ohio State as offensive coordinator, Kelly’s influence was pivotal in Moore’s commitment to UCLA.

Now with Kelly shaping the Raiders’ offense, Moore could be an irresistible choice if Las Vegas secures a top-five pick in April.