The 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders have been eliminated from playoff contention. Now it’s Raiders mock draft time. Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network put one together. He has the team taking wide receiver Carnell Tate and offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu in the first two rounds. Then he has USC quarterback Jayden Maiava going in the third round:
“67) Las Vegas Raiders: Jayden Maiava, QB, USC
The 2025 season has been as ugly as you could imagine for the Raiders, and it’s easier to list which positions haven’t been issues. QB, unfortunately, has not been one of them, as Geno Smith has starkly regressed. Smith’s age and poor performance have Raiders fans already looking ahead. At first glance, the 2026 QB class is relatively sparse past the top three, but there are wild cards in the fold. At 6’4″, 230 pounds, Jayden Maiava is a prototypical gunslinger with a double-edged fearlessness to his game, but also definite potential with his leverage 1Q and easy velocity.”
Some Raiders fans would like to see the team draft a quarterback in the first round. But it wouldn’t hurt to land one on Day 2.
Raiders Predicted to Draft Jayden Maiava in the Third Round
His Career Thus Far
Jayden Maiava attended three different high schools: Liberty (Henderson, Nevada), Sierra Vista (Las Vegas, Nevada), and Kaimuki (Honolulu, Hawaii). He earned All-League First Team honors as a senior at Liberty. That year, he threw for 2,027 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding three touchdowns on the ground.
Maiava then committed to the University of Nevada (UNLV). He passed up offers from schools like Tennessee, Auburn, and Louisville.
Maiava redshirted his first season at UNLV. The following year, he started all 14 games, passing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also rushed for 277 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, Maiava led UNLV to its most wins since the 1984 season and the school’s first-ever appearance in the Mountain West Championship. He was named the 2023 Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
In 2024, Maiava entered the transfer portal and transferred to USC. He initially committed to the University of Georgia, but ultimately landed at USC. Maiava took over the starting role in the Trojans’ final four games. That year, he passed for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 45 yards and four scores. He recorded 295 passing yards and four touchdowns in the 2024 Las Vegas Bowl. USC won the game 35-31.
Maiava put together a great 2025 season. He threw for 3,431 yards, and 23 touchdowns while logging the second-best QB rating in the country (91.2). He hasn’t announced yet if he’ll stay at USC or declare for the NFL draft.
Should the Raiders Draft Him?
Like Cummings wrote, this has been an awful season for the Raiders and they have a lot of holes to fill.
Las Vegas could use a top-five pick on a quarterback like Dante Moore or Fernando Mendoza. But as everybody knows, you can also land a productive signal-caller later on in the draft.
Drafting Jayden Maiava (if he declares) makes sense for the Raiders. Geno Smith, who was traded to Vegas last year, can serve as a bridge quarterback until Maiava is ready to take over.
Maiava possesses arm talent, a quick release, and ability to create plays under pressure. Plus, he has the athleticism to escape pressure. So yes, the Raiders should take him.
Main Image:Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images
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