While the Las Vegas Raiders did not land an elite quarterback prospect in this year’s NFL Draft, a notable draft expert believes they will do whatever is necessary to move up and land a potential franchise QB in next year’s event.
There was a whole bunch of speculation surrounding the Raiders and the first five selections in April’s NFL Draft. There is a lot of hope surrounding Las Vegas heading into 2024 training camp. The team performed far better in the second half of the season under new full-time head coach Antonio Pierce and the roster might finally live up to the expectations that former head coach Josh McDaniels failed to bring them to.
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Unfortunately, the most important position on the field is a weakness. In camp, incumbent QB Aidan O’Connell will battle free agent addition Gardner Minshew for the starting job, but neither man has shown the talent to be a franchise signal-caller. That is why the organization was linked to potential trades to move up in April’s draft and land one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s class.
Unfortunately, the Raiders wanted to make a move in a year with a strong class and several teams ahead of them with a similar need. They will now enter the season with O’Connell and Minshew as the top two QBs on the depth chart, but ESPN NFL Draft expert Matt Miller believes they will have that big-time prospect in camp this time next year.
On Tuesday, the outlet revealed a way too early look at the 2025 NFL Draft, and Miller claimed the Las Vegas Raiders will have a top 10 pick next year but they will not run the risk of missing out on a top QB prospect next April.
“The Raiders might not want to chance it again in 2025, and I could see a scenario where they’d give the No. 8 pick, a 2026 first-rounder, and a 2027 second-rounder to Carolina for the chance to get one of the top two signal-callers available,” Miller wrote.
So who will Las Vegas target with the pick? Well, Miller believes the New York Giants will jump ahead of the Raiders to take Carson Beck first overall. Leaving the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders, available to take with the second pick.
“The early read on Las Vegas is that it needs a quarterback. Sanders is a legitimate Heisman contender if Colorado can string together some wins. His accuracy, toughness, and poise would make him a rookie starter for the Raiders and give the offense some much-needed swagger,” Miller wrote. “He threw 27 touchdown passes to three interceptions for the Buffaloes last year.”
If he can make the transition to the NFL, Sanders could become a megastar in the NFL playing in Las Vegas for the silver-and-black. He also seems like a good fit for this locker room with Pierce leading the way.
