After Week 17, the Las Vegas Raiders’ chances of picking at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft dwindled as they won 25-10 against the New Orleans Saints, their second in a row. With that victory, they slide to the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft order heading into their last matchup of the season.
While the Raiders have long been in need of a playmaking quarterback, their chances of landing top quarterbacks like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward appear slimmer than they were a few weeks ago.
Insider Shares Tom Brady’s Opinion of Shedeur Sanders
The question is, do the Raiders still have a chance? At 4-12, even if they lose their next game, the Raiders will not get the No. 1 overall pick. The competition for that seems to be between the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants. A top-five pick is still possible, depending on the right draw of luck and wins from the aforementioned teams.
Former quarterback Tom Brady’s pursuit of NFL ownership saw its precipice in October when his bid to purchase a minority stake in the Raiders was approved. In light of this, if Las Vegas does get the chance to select one of the two QBs, depending on teams ahead of them opting for positions other than quarterback, Brady would reportedly prefer Sanders over Ward. According to a report from Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, Brady has great respect for Sanders:
“From what I’ve been told about Brady’s opinion of Sanders — which he has shared with a handful of NFL coaches and executives over the past 18 months — there is a great amount of respect for Sanders’ focus on preparation, his ability to learn and adapt, his accuracy and determination in the pocket, and his toughness to take hits and still be resilient.
“… For the most part, Shedeur has never become a distraction, developed selfish tendencies or created issues with his public profile or fame that overshadowed his team or his game. He also stayed in school for four years and developed, which is something Brady has repeatedly and publicly said he values in a young quarterback.”
No surprise, but Brady has a high opinion on Shedeur via Charles Robinson https://t.co/dUe1Sjjjdc pic.twitter.com/Uj12LotN8K
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 3, 2025
In Dalton Miller’s early NFL Draft QB rankings for Pro Football Network, Sanders was ranked ahead of Ward, though he said “the grade did not come with a Round 1 designation.”
“Sanders is the most naturally accurate passer in the class,” Miller wrote. “He’s practically automatic when he’s able to work in rhythm. His quick, compact release makes up for what is just a slightly above-average arm. His anticipatory flashes are impressive, he operates cleanly over the middle of the field, and he consistently exhibits toughness in the face of free rushers (which happens a lot.)”
According to Pro Football Network’s latest mock draft by Sterling Xie — with the top pick currently in the hands of the New England Patriots, who do not need a quarterback but do have holes in their offensive and defensive lineups — New England will fix its shortcomings by selecting dual-threat Travis Hunter as the No. 1 overall prospect. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans are projected to pick at No. 2 and are expected to select Sanders.