Depending on how this offseason plays out, the Las Vegas Raiders could be a popular pick to be the biggest sleeper team in the NFL in 2025. New head coach Pete Carroll is a consistent winner and the roster does have some very good pieces.
However, they very much need an upgrade at wide receiver and quarterback. Fortunately, it’s not impossible for the Raiders to upgrade both of those positions in a major way. Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus painted a “dream scenario” for the Raiders that would include the team signing Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and drafting Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
“Armed with $92 million in cap space, new general manager John Spytek has the war chest to make a splash in free agency,” Cameron wrote. “What better way than to sign the top free agent? Should Higgins escape the franchise tag, he will command a massive deal, and the Raiders not only have the ability to match almost anyone but also enough left over to build around their newly minted WR1.
“While it’s unlikely that a quarterback will fall to Las Vegas at the sixth pick, should one of the draft’s top prospects land in their lap — or they maneuver into striking range of the top three picks — this offense would have its signal-caller of the future.”
Recent rumors suggest that the Bengals will use the franchise tag on Higgins but that hasn’t been officially announced yet so it’s still possible he could be a free agent. Higgins would give the Raiders a bonafide No. 1 wide receiver while Ward is arguably the best quarterback in the draft.
If Las Vegas added both, that might be enough to get them mentioned in the playoff conversation next year.