The Las Vegas Raiders made a bold move this offseason to add a quarterback.
After hiring Pete Carroll to be the head coach, the team traded for Carroll’s former quarterback Geno Smith. Smith had a solid 2024 season with the Seahawks, throwing for 4,320 yards with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Smith and the Seahawks then agreed on a two-year extension that will keep the quarterback under contract through 2027. However, Smith is already 34 and likely isn’t getting any better. This means it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team keep options open regarding the future of the position.
John Blair of NFL Mocks recently published a 2026 mock draft that has the Raiders selecting Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik with the No. 7 pick. Of course, if the Raiders are picking inside the top-10 once again, it likely means that Smith had a disappointing season.
The 2026 draft is expected to be loaded with quarterback talent, and the team may not be able to pass up a prospect like Klubnik. Regarding that prediction, Blair offered the following:
The Raiders made a significant investment in Geno Smith this offseason, but at 34 years old, he’s not a long-term solution. That puts Las Vegas in position to draft a developmental quarterback, and they land one here in Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Klubnik is a fundamentally sound passer who threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns last season, second only to Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
As Blair mentioned, the team made a significant investment in Smith, but that doesn’t change the fact that he isn’t a long-term fix.
Klubnik raised his draft stock significantly after an impressive 2024 campaign with the Tigers. The quarterback threw for 3,639 yards with 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions while leading his team to the College Football Playoff.
The former top prospect has a strong arm and adequate athleticism. Klubnik showed off his legs by rushing for 463 yards and seven scores last season.
With another strong season in 2025, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Klubnik among the first quarterbacks selected in the next draft. The class is expected to contain promising passers like Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier, Arch Manning, and Drew Allar.
Even if the Raiders don’t want to give up on Smith after the 2025 season, Klubnik could sit behind the veteran in 2026. Smith’s contract has a possible out after the 2026 season, and Klubnik could take over the starting job after that.
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