The Las Vegas Raiders need a new quarterback for the 2025 NFL season, but the means by which they acquire one remains to be seen.
The trade market and free agency are the safer routes because the Raiders have the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The only QBs expected to go off the board in Round 1 are Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. There’s no guarantee either is on the board when Las Vegas selects, but the decision of the Tennessee Titans at No. 1 could put the Raiders in their dream scenario.
Raiders Predicted To Land Shedeur Sanders Thanks to Titans
If the Titans go QB at No. 1 with either Ward or Sanders, it’s almost impossible the other falls to Las Vegas at pick 6. This is because there is a strong chance that the New York Giants opt to select one of them at No. 3 overall.
However, if Tennessee opts to select elite Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter like Pro Football Network projects, the Raiders could land Sanders. PFN’s latest mock draft predicts this to play out, with Carter going off the board with the top selection while Las Vegas lands its dream QB.
“The marriage of Shedeur Sanders to the Raiders feels too good to be true. If the Titans pass on a quarterback at No. 1, though, there’s a chance Las Vegas could select its quarterback of the future without having to mortgage the future,” PFN’s Jacob Infante wrote.
The fit truly is perfect, as Las Vegas is one of the bigger market teams in the league, while Sanders is the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, who makes national headlines on a weekly basis. Regardless of how the younger Sanders performs in his rookie and sophomore campaigns, the Raiders will garner much media attention, equating to a greater amount of money made.
“Sanders is an accurate passer who stays tough in the pocket and delivers his throws with a sense of touch down the field,” Infante continued. “Having a head coach like Pete Carroll and a superstar target like Brock Bowers would help the Colorado star mask his shortcomings and emphasize his strengths.”
Having a long-term, reliable head coach like Carroll could be the key to Sanders living up to his potential. He is a rather raw prospect, with some aspects of his game leaving much to be desired. Considering how Carroll developed Russell Wilson into a nine-time Pro Bowler, the plan is he would have the same level of success with Sanders.
The Raiders’ offense ranked No. 29 in PFN’s Offense+ metric, which would hopefully have a big jump for years to come if Sanders is under center.
Infante went on to explain why Tennessee could pass on a QB at No. 1, writing, “It would be tempting for the Titans to use the No. 1 pick on a quarterback, but after their president of football operations Chad Brinker mentioned they wouldn’t pass on a ‘generational talent,’ that doesn’t particularly scream ‘quarterback’ given the consensus opinion of this class.”