Raiders Predicted to Add Polarizing QB After Missing out on Generational RB

The 2025 NFL Draft is days away, and while many expect the Las Vegas Raiders to select running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6, he could potentially go higher than many are expecting.

This draft class is considered one of the weaker ones in recent years. The last time a running back was taken in the top five of a draft was Saquon Barkley in 2018. Not many expect Jeanty to get selected before the Raiders pick at No. 6, but he’s widely considered one of the best running back prospects to come into the NFL in recent years.

This fact could lead a team picking ahead of the Raiders to surprise the world and take Jeanty. In Chad Reuter’s latest mock draft for NFL.com, he projects the New England Patriots to select the Boise State star with the No. 4 pick.

In this scenario, the Raiders make a surprise pick of their own by taking former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the No. 6 pick.

“Sanders to the Raiders makes all kinds of sense,” Reuter wrote. “Geno Smith’s new deal includes no guaranteed money after the 2026 season, per Over the Cap, potentially giving the team an out. Sanders would continue his relationship with minority owner Tom Brady and learn under Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, giving the QB a chance to maximize his potential.”

Would Raiders Take Sanders if He Falls to Them?

Jeanty not being on the board when the Raiders would certainly be a curveball, but so would Sanders still being on the board. He was expected to be a top-five pick, but it appears he’s starting to slip.

If the Raiders don’t take him at No. 6, he may fall out of the top 10. While adding a young quarterback seems appealing to Las Vegas, using a first-round pick on a high-floor, low-ceiling quarterback like Sanders after giving a big contract to Geno Smith seems unlikely.

Perhaps if the quarterback slips further down the draft board, the Raiders could consider trading back into the first round to add Sanders, but No. 6 is too high.

The Athletic Still Thinks Jeanty to Raiders

Jeanty is going to be tempting for a team that needs a running back like the Patriots. However, they also have much bigger needs.

In the end, it’s hard to see a scenario where they take Jeanty over a the top offensive lineman on their board or an elite defensive line prospect. Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic put together a mock draft, and they still believe that Jeanty will ultimately be a Raider in 2025.

“We would’ve preferred to trade back, but there wasn’t enough interest in the non-Cam Ward quarterbacks,” Tafur and Reed wrote. “Once it was clear a deal wouldn’t materialize, we zeroed in on the best player available: Jeanty. He was the No. 3 prospect in both Dane Brugler’s final big board and The Athletic’s consensus big board. He’s well built at 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, elusive, fast and athletic. He has incredible vision and balance. He constantly breaks tackles, is a reliable receiver and holds up well in pass protection. He has all the makings of a star.”