The late Al Davis was all about speed, speed, and more speed when it came to building his Raiders teams. He would probably love Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, one of the fastest quarterback prospects you'll ever see and someone who has become quite the polarizing prospect ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
For a bit, it seemed like the Heisman candidate was a lock to be the "next" Anthony Richardson, a first-round pick based on his raw traits and arm talent. Not every prospect coming up from the college ranks is refined and none of them are perfect anyway. NFL teams believe they can make superstars out of almost anyone.
So why would they not like Jalen Milroe, who by all accounts is everything you would want from an intangible standpoint and elite in the traits categories? Well, the Las Vegas Raiders might be thinking that exact same thing. They are reportedly hosting Jalen Milroe for a pre-draft visit...
Raiders hosting Jalen Milroe for 2025 NFL Draft visit
The #Raiders will host Alabama QB Jalen Milroe for a private visit
— Tristen Kuhn (@KuhnTristen) March 30, 2025
Interestingly enough, the Raiders' interest in Milroe pre-dates their acquisition of Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Raiders managed to land Smith to keep up with the arms race that is the AFC West, and the addition of Smith might actually make it more likely we would see the Raiders make a shocking selection of Milroe early on in this draft.
And yes, I mean as high as 6th overall...
You have to keep any and all options on the table at this stage of the game. Teams don't want to leave quarterbacks they actually want to add to their team on the board. We saw it last year when six of the first 12 picks in the first round were quarterbacks.
And the Raiders were picking 13th, left without a date to the dance.
New general manager John Spytek is not going to let that happen. Pete Carroll knows a thing or two about the value of drafting a quarterback the same year you acquire a bridge guy in a trade. It's not a guarantee by any stretch. You could wind up seeing a Malik Willis/Desmond Ridder scenario with a guy like Milroe.
Nobody's guaranteeing that he will go 6th overall but if the Raiders determine he's a great fit for what they want to do offensively, then why would they wait around and see if he's still there in round two or three? If you believe a guy can be your quarterback of the future, you don't mess around with the idea of him possibly landing on another team.
Our latest four-round NFL Mock Draft has the Pittsburgh Steelers taking Milroe with the 21st overall pick. If the Raiders want to wait for the chance to take him in round two, that chance may never come at all.