The Las Vegas Raiders desperately need a quarterback, but most 2025 NFL mock drafts have the top-two signal-callers coming off the board well before the Silver and Black pick at No. 6. However, The Athletic's Dane Brugler predicts that Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders will be there for the taking at six.
“There are a ton of mixed opinions in the league about Sanders, and it will be interesting to see how (or if) that changes throughout the draft process once coaches get involved,” Brugler writes.
“But with Mark Davis and Tom Brady heavily influencing this pick, I’m not sure the Raiders could pass on Sanders — although, hopefully the new head coach and general manager will have a say in that decision.”
The 2025 NFL mock draft consensus in January is that Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward of Miami are the top quarterback prospects this year and that they will come off the board in the first two or three picks with the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants all needing new signal-callers.
In this mock, though, while the Titans do take Ward, the Browns bolster their already-fearsome pass rush with Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter and the Giants go with Sanders' Heisman Trophy-winning teammate, two-way sensation Travis Hunter.
After that, the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars pick, and neither franchise needs a quarterback at this point, with Drake Maye and Trevor Lawrence in place. However, these two teams pose the biggest threat to the Raiders getting a quarterback in the 2025 draft as either could trade back to a QB-needy franchise if Sanders is still on the board.
Sanders is, of course, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who also coached him at Colorado (and Jackson State before that).
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound passer had an excellent season, leading the Big 12 in completions (353), completion percentage (74.0,) passing yards (4,134), passing touchdowns (37), yards per attempt (8.7), air yards per attempt (9.27), yards per game (318.0), and quarterback rating (168.2).