Copyright Newsweek
When the Las Vegas Raiders hired head coach Pete Carroll and traded for two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith during the offseason, most didn’t expect the team to be 2-5 seven games into the 2025 season. The team had just 95 yards of total offense in Sunday’s embarrassing 31-0 shutout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which was the worst offensive performance in franchise history. The 30 total offensive plays run was the second-fewest in NFL history—the 1999 expansion Cleveland Browns are the only team with fewer—and Vegas had just three first downs, zero third-down conversions, and they possessed the ball for just 17 minutes and 52 seconds. The Raiders are among one of the worst offensive teams in the NFL. They rank 28th in total offense (276.4 yards per game) and they have the second-worst scoring offense in the league (14.7 per game). More Football: NFL Makes Final Decision on Punishment for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes More Football: Broncos’ Sean Payton Could Face NFL Punishment for Actions in Giants Game Because of Smith’s struggles (he’s tied for the most interceptions in the NFL with 10 and his 77.4 passer rating ranks 22nd among QBs to start every game this season), and the offense as a whole is suffering, Mike Renner of CBS Sports believes the Raiders will target Oregon’s Dante Moore — one of the more dynamic QBs in college football — with their first-round pick next April. “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.” More Football: Lions Linked to Blockbuster Trade for Raiders Pass-Rusher Maxx Crosby What makes the potential Moore selection even more intriguing is his ties to current Chip Kelly, the Raiders offensive coordinator. Kelly was the head coach at UCLA back in 2023 when Moore committed to the Bruins as a five-star passer and the No. 4-ranked recruit in the country. Though they only spent one season together before Kelly departed to become the offensive coordinator for Ohio State, he was one of the key reasons Moore chose UCLA. With Kelly running the offense in Vegas, if the Raiders do, indeed, have a top-five pick next April, Moore might be too enticing a player for the team to pass up on.
