The Las Vegas Raiders are in the mix for several quarterbacks this offseason but the ideal scenario is still ending up with a rookie. Adding a rookie in the first round gives the team a quarterback on a controlled contract for at least five years, which allows them to use money to upgrade other positions.
However, the Raiders may need to trade up in the draft to land one of the top quarterbacks. Miami’s Cam Ward might not be an option as he could be the No. 1 pick but there’s a lot of debate about Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
In a beat writer mock draft for The Athletic, Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed project that Las Vegas will send the No. 6 pick and the No. 68 pick to the New England Patriots for the No. 4 pick. With that pick, they would select Sanders.
“It’s one of the worst-kept secrets in the NFL that the Raiders need a QB, and they were aggressive in their effort to land their signal caller of the future in the draft,” Tafur and Reed wrote in a Feb. 20 mock draft. “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. He doesn’t have dynamic physical traits, but he’s mobile, accurate, has a good arm and displayed important intangibles such as leadership, poise and the ability to navigate adversity during his time at Jackson State and Colorado. In drafting him, Las Vegas hopes to end the revolving door it has had at QB since releasing Derek Carr in 2023.”
Will Raiders Need to Trade for Shedeur Sanders?
Essentially just giving up one of their two first-round pick to ensure they land their quarterback of the future would be a small price to pay for the Raiders. However, they may not even need to give up that asset.
Ward and Sanders aren’t considered elite quarterback prospects and it’s easy to see the Tennessee Titans at No. 1 choose to go with a player like Travis Hunter. The Cleveland Browns are paying Deshaun Watson so much money right now that they may not be able to justify drafting a quarterback at No. 2.
The biggest competition for a quarterback is the New York Giants at No. 3. They will almost certainly take a quarterback unless both are taken before they select. If they end up with Ward, the Raiders may not have to trade up to get Sanders.
Raiders Have Many Needs on Offense
There’s also a chance the Raiders could hold off on addressing the quarterback need until next year. They have many needs on offense and may want to use their first-round pick to add an offensive lineman, wide receiver or running back.
Quarterback is the most important position but this is also considered a weak class. If the Raiders don’t like their options, they may be better off going with a veteran this season.
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