Oct 12, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) audibles against the Tennessee Volunteerss at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Why Graham Mertz is Flying Under the Radar in 2025 NFL Draft

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The biggest hole to fill for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason is the quarterback position. The Raiders will have a chance of doing that in the 2025 NFL Draft. They currently have the sixth overall pick but can move up if they feel that they have their guy at the top of the draft board. The Raiders have struggled at the quarterback position over the last couple of seasons.

Head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Spytek, and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady will be the ones leading the charge to find the next franchise quarterback for the Silver and Black. Raiders owner Mark Davis has put his trust in his football people, and now they look to deliver the right quarterback for their organization.

One quarterback that is flying under the radar is University of Florida quarterback Graham Mertz. Metz is probably not on many people's radars because of the injury he suffered. He put up nearly 800 yards passing last season and had six touchdowns.

His best season came in 2023. Mertz had 2,903 passing yards to go along with 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Some NFL teams are willing to wait till the 2026 season for Mertz if drafted. He is one to watch closely in the draft.

Our Hondo Carpenter talked about underrated quarterback Graham Mertz ahead of the draft on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

"Now this kid tore an ACL like in the season. And because of that, he missed some time," said Carpenter. "But he throws for almost 10,000 yards. So, he has a ton of experience. He played at Wisconsin and in Florida. They think the stat would have been even greater had he played at Florida the entire time."

"They do not think he will participate in the combine. But they think the biggest thing for him is going to be medical. They think this is a kid that could, 10 years down the road, reviewing this quarterback class, surprise some people. Just want to keep that name up there, and that is Graham Mertz. If he gets picked, do not be surprised if this guy turns out to be a really good quarterback. I thought that was fascinating."

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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