The Las Vegas Raiders diminished their chances of securing one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft after winning two of their last three games. Instead of holding the No. 1 pick, they now have the No. 6 pick.
While it’s not impossible for Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders to drop to them, the Raiders might not want to take that risk. If they are truly interested in one of these quarterbacks, they could consider trading up.
Although moving up just a few spots may not seem like much, it would still require the Raiders to pay a significant price. CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards believes the Raiders will be willing to make that move. In a recent mock draft, Edwards predicted the Raiders would trade with the Cleveland Browns to move up to No. 2, where they would select Sanders.
“With Cam Ward off the board, it creates urgency for other teams to act if they view Shedeur Sanders as a top-tier prospect,” Edwards wrote in his Feb. 6 mock draft. “If Cleveland isn’t sold on the quarterback, but the Raiders are fully committed to Sanders and want to get ahead of quarterback-needy teams like the Giants, the Browns would likely be open to selling the pick. The Raiders would make it worth their while.”
Warren Sapp’s High Praise for Sanders
Former Raider Warren Sapp, who spent the past year coaching at Colorado, had high praise for Sanders. He believes Sanders is destined for greatness.
“Pretty damn good quarterback, pretty damn good. Okay, great, it means you’re in a hall. I don’t use anything other than great when you’re talking about a gold jacket. He was born to play this position,” Sapp said in an interview with Zach Gelb. “Now, it’s all about what you put around him. Do you get a head coach and offensive coordinator who truly wants him, or do you end up with a situation like Bryce Young in Carolina, where the GM and owner push for him, but the coach isn’t fully on board?”
Sapp emphasized that if you build a system around Sanders’ strengths, he will succeed. He also compared Sanders’ situation to Vince Young, whose 30-17 record in Tennessee should have been enough to keep him on the team.
What If the Browns Like Sanders?
If both the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns are interested in Ward and Sanders, the Raiders could find themselves unable to land either quarterback, given both teams have quarterback needs.
In that case, the Raiders would have to hope Sanders refuses to play for Cleveland. Sanders’ father, Deion Sanders, has mentioned that they could turn down offers from certain teams, though they haven’t specified which ones.
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