We are officially in mock draft season and the Raiders have plenty of questions to answer. Head Coach Pete Carroll may address the quarterback position in free agency, but that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t look in the first round of this year’s draft for his future franchise QB.
The Athletic just released their beat writer mock draft, and they have the Raiders trading up in order to secure the future of the franchise.
Miami prospect Cam Ward was the first quarterback drafted, 3rd overall to the New York Giants. This forced the Raiders to trade up to 4th overall to get their guy.
Raiders Trade Up For Shedeur Sanders In 2025 NFL Draft
In this scenario, the Raiders traded the 6th overall and 68th overall picks to the New England Patriots in exchange for the 4th pick.
Via Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed:
“They have an extra third-round pick as a result of the Davante Adams trade, so they didn’t hesitate to ship one out to land their guy: Sanders.”
“Sanders has a strong relationship (and had an NIL deal in college) with minority owner Tom Brady, has already met owner Mark Davis and should be comfortable in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s system, which blends NFL and college concepts.”
Las Vegas feel like the perfect landing spot for Sanders when you think about his celebrity and background, but is he the right selection when it comes to on-the-field play?
Also Read: Raiders Sign Former UCLA Bruins WR
At Colorado, Sanders played behind one of the worst offensive lines in College Football. The Buffaloes also had the worst rushing game in the entire Big 12. He was still able to lead them to a highly productive season and was one of the better passing teams.
In joining the Raiders, he would inherit much of the same. Per PFF, the Raiders offensive line finished 26th in the NFL. They also finished dead last in rushing averaging a paltry 79.8 rushing yards per game.
The Raiders can aid this effort in free agency but certainly would have their work cut out for them to build around Sanders. However, if they only have to give up an extra 3rd rounder to get him, it is kind of a no-brainer.