The Las Vegas Raiders are on track to be dipping into the 2026 NFL draft for a quarterback after what we've seen out of Geno Smith so far. That's why a CBS Sports analyst has mocked Las Vegas a signal-caller in his latest projection.
Raiders predicted to ditch Geno Smith for quarterback with 16-1 TD to INT ratio originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The ' solution to fix their quarterback woes in 2025 has not gone according to plan thanks to the struggles of Geno Smith.
Smith has been awful through five games for Las Vegas and leads the NFL with nine interceptions. Safe to say, this is not what the Raiders were expecting when they acquired Smith in a trade with the during the offseason.
Adding insult to injury, the Raiders are worse through five games this season (1-4) than they were in 2024 with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell (2-3) under center. Big Yikes...
With Smith stinking up the building, CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson predicts the Raiders will spring for a quarterback with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by selecting Indiana passer Fernando Mendoza.
Here's more information on what Mendoza brings to the table, per Wilson:
Fernando Mendoza is a poised, accurate passer who has plus arm talent, consistently delivering catchable balls on time and in rhythm and excelling on layered second-level routes. He shows NFL-level field vision and coverage recognition, consistently ripping throws with anticipation. While not a true creator, Mendoza navigates collapsing pockets effectively and can make accurate off-platform throws, showing a calm, efficient style reminiscent of Jared Goff.
One thing Raiders fans would love about Mendoza — especially in the wake of Smith consistently giving the ball to the other team — is the fact that he actually takes care of the football.
Mendoza has a 16-1 touchdown to interception ratio and has shown elite accuracy with a 73% success rate on his throws. Mendoza has 1,208 passing yards and has displayed solid mobility with 102 yards on the ground in five contests.
If Mendoza can continue playing at a high level, there's a very realistic chance he goes in the top 10 of next year's draft, where the Raiders are likely to be sitting following what is shaping up to be another ugly season.
As far as Smith is concerned, there are a few ways the Raiders could go.
Las Vegas could simply hang on to him for one more season instead of cutting him, which would incur a dead-cap hit of $18.5 million and a savings of just $8 million. In 2027, Smith can be cut without penalty, per Over the Cap.
Another option is to trade Smith next year, which would wipe his money off the books without incurring a dead-cap charge, although there isn't likely to be any trade interest in the veteran if he keeps playing the way he has.
Luckily for Las Vegas, they are set to be loaded with over $100 million in cap space next offseason, so they can afford to absorb the aforementioned dead money.
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