The Las Vegas Raiders selected North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller with the No. 215 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Raiders entered the weekend intent on bringing a developmental quarterback into the fold behind starter Geno Smith, whom they acquired this offseason in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. While they had plenty of opportunities earlier in the draft to bring in a player such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders before finally going to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, the Raiders held tight and instead opted for the dual-threat Miller in the sixth round.
Miller helped lead North Dakota State to a pair of national championships in 2022 and 2024. He started 56 games over five seasons with the Bison, including 54 straight after taking over in the middle of his sophomore season in 2021. In his final season, he set career highs of 3,251 passing yards and 33 touchdowns against four interceptions. He also had 48 career rushing touchdowns.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Miller ranked No. 251 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Miller is an intelligent game manager who takes what the defense gives him and relies on timing and placement over pure arm power. The son of a football coach, his mental approach and on-field production showed improvements each season, although he will continue to have his doubters because of the level of competition he faced. Overall, Miller won’t wow you right away because the physical traits are average. The more you watch, though, the more you come to appreciate his decision-making and feel for the position. He can be an asset in an NFL quarterback room as a reserve.”
#Raiders added their QB in this class, the highly experienced, athletic and productive QB Cam Miller from NDSU.
Miller is a three year starter who’s a plus athlete and runner along with a highly efficient (4:1 TD to INT ratio) QB.
At the @ShrineBowl Wilson Throwing Session,… pic.twitter.com/KEcfVyycnd
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) April 26, 2025
How he fits
The Raiders clearly weren’t enamored with this quarterback class and waited until the sixth round to draft the next Tom Brady. Unlike their minority owner, Miller moves pretty well. The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Miller was the runner-up for the Walter Payton Award for the top offensive player in FCS. Miller can throw on the run (3,251 yards and 33 touchdowns, with four interceptions) and find the end zone when he scrambles (12 touchdowns this season and 48 career rushing scores).
Depth-chart impact
Can Miller push Aidan O’Connell for the backup job, or will he be a developmental No. 3 guy? He does seem a better fit for Chip Kelly’s offense with his mobility. Miller started a lot of games in college and was praised for his poise, efficiency and leadership, so maybe this just might be an interesting training camp battle.
They also could have picked …
The only name that jumps out at this point is Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. He was expected to go much earlier in the draft — Brugler had him rated No. 86 overall — but was still on the board in the sixth round. While he has a cannon for an arm, he struggled to stay healthy in college, doesn’t have much size and was never as consistent as you would’ve liked. Miller doesn’t have nearly as much arm talent, but he’s a much better athlete. That may have been the difference.
Fast evaluation
Miller is the definition of a developmental backup. He’s a complete non-threat to Geno Smith, but he can compete for a roster spot and potentially challenge Aidan O’Connell for the backup job. If he becomes a dependable backup, this pick is a win.
(Photo: Andrew Wevers / Getty Images)
