Until the college football season is underway, there’s no way to know for sure which quarterbacks will emerge as the best draft prospects next year. For now, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is one of the most interesting players to watch.
The 22-year-old quarterback threw 27 touchdowns to three interceptions and should be a first-round pick next year if he continues the strong play. The Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams with the biggest need at quarterback and Oliver Hodgkinson of Pro Football Network is projecting them to select Sanders with the No. 5 pick in next year’s draft.
“The 2025 quarterback class has already fielded plenty of criticism, and there isn’t yet a consensus over who will head it up next spring,” Hodgkinson wrote in a June 15 column. “While Georgia’s passer leads the way in the PFN QB rankings, there are NFL scouts who believe Shedeur Sanders — who battled abysmal OL play a year ago — has all the physical tools to be the first signal-caller selected next April.”
If Sanders has another big season, he could be in the conversation to be the No. 1 pick. The Raiders have too much talent to realistically be in the running to get the No. 1 pick but Sanders is a player they should be scouting closely this year.
Shedeur Sanders Rated as No. 3 Player in 2025
Notably, Sanders is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. However, he’s proven to have the skill to step out of his father’s shadow. Though there’s still a lot that will happen before next year’s draft, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports rated Sanders as the No. 3 prospect in the 2025 class.
“As a runner, Sanders picks his spots wisely,” Trapasso wrote in a June 18 column. “And while he’s not as fast or sudden as his dad was — no one is blaming him for that — he’s silky smooth and understands sliding or getting out of bounds is typically the smart decision with the ball in his hands.
“Then there’s everything that comes along with the name recognition of Sanders. Some teams will shy away from the son of ‘Prime Time.’ But it wouldn’t be outlandish for a franchise to embrace all of it. If we see more heat on some of his longer throws, and he continues to play poised from the pocket while intermittently moving the chains with his legs, yes, Sanders will squarely be on the No. 1 pick radar.”
What if Las Vegas Raiders Don’t Have Top-10 Draft Pick?
Hodgkinson has the Raiders picked at No. 5 next year but that seems high. The team had the No. 13 pick this year and should be better now that they have Antonio Pierce set as head coach. That’s not to mention them adding impact players like Brock Bowers and Christian Wilkins.
If the Raiders finish the season with a pick outside the top 10, it will be difficult to get a top quarterback. Now, there should be fewer teams with a need at quarterback than there was this year. That could open up an easier opportunity for the team to trade up. The Raiders need a franchise quarterback and 2025 could be a prime year to make it happen.
