Raiders Amidst a Uniquely Historic Drought—When Will It End?

The Las Vegas can put an end to this rather mind-boggling drought during the NFL offseason.

Nov 19, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce reacts during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are in dire need of a quarterback.

We know it. The Raiders know it. Heck, Las Vegas' current group of quarterbacks probably knows it.

It's looking more and more likely that the Raiders will end up selecting a signal-caller in the first round of the NFL Draft in the spring, and while that may seem like standard procedure given Las Vegas' situation, it actually isn't for this franchise.

As a matter of fact, it would be a rare occurrence.

The Raiders have not taken a quarterback in the first round of the draft since 2007, representing the one of the longest active droughts in the NFL.

Longest active droughts for NFL teams since they used a first-round pick on a quarterback:

Saints 1971
Cowboys 1989
Seahawks 1993
Raiders 2007
Lions 2009

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) November 12, 2024

Your memory probably doesn't need to be jogged to recall who the Raiders selected 17 years ago either, but in case it does, it was JaMarcus Russell.

But heading into April 2025, Las Vegas absolutely should put this dubious streak to an end.

The Raiders ended up with the 13th overall pick in last year's draft and watched as six quarterbacks flew off the board before they were on the clock.

As a result, Las Vegas was forced to enter 2024 with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell competing for the starting spot. Minshew won the job out of camp, but it clearly has not gone very well for the Raiders.

Las Vegas has even experimented with Desmond Ridder, but the chances of the Raiders turning the reins over to him for the future are as close to zero as you can get.

There has been plenty of speculation about Las Vegas potentially grabbing Colorado Buffaloes superstar Shedeur Sanders, but the Raiders would need the right draft positioning to do it (unless Deion Sanders steers his son to Vegas, which is not out of the realm of possibility).

Regardless, there will be a handful of impressive quarterback prospects available in the spring, so even if the Raiders can't nab Sanders, it should be able to snatch up somebody.

Las Vegas has needs up and down the roster, so just drafting a signal-caller won't suddenly fix all of the team's issues. But, it would certainly go a long way in guiding the franchise in the right direction.

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