NFL draft season gets rolling in less than two weeks, with the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, from February 27 through March 2 followed by a flurry of “pro days” and regional workouts, and culminates in the spectacle that is the NFL Draft, April 24-26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
As things currently stand, the Las Vegas Raiders will enter draft weekend with the #6 and #37 overall picks — underwhelming for a team that spent most of the 2024 NFL season in the hunt for the #1 overall pick, only to get bounced from the top five altogether by an untimely two-game win streak in Weeks 16 and 17 that boosted their record to 4-13.
The Silver and Black enter the process with significant needs on both sides of the ball — namely, per NFL.com’s Chad Reuter and Gordon McGuiness of Pro Football Focus, wide receiver, running back, cornerback, the defensive front, and, of course, quarterback.
This week, we’re running through possible scenarios for each of the Raiders’ first two picks, looking at what has been and the prospects at different position groups that could lead the way forward. We begin, naturally, under center.
Uner Center With the 2024 Raiders
Raiders quarterbacks attempted a total of 634 passes in the 2024 season. The overwhelming majority were by Gardner Minshew II (306) and Aidan O’Connell (243), with Desmond Ridder attempting 85 passes over five late-season appearances.
Minshew started the season under center and led the Raiders to a 2-2 start, including a road win over the Baltimore Ravens. He was benched by Thanksgiving following a six-game losing streak highlighted by familiar issues from throughout his six-year career: his propensity for taking sacks (8.66% sack rate in 2024, 7.19% career) and turning the ball over. His 3.3% interception rate was seventh-highest among qualified QBs in 2024, while his six fumbles in 10 games was in line with his career rate of 10.3 per 17 games. Given his track record, age (29 in May), and relative cost, he’s not the long-term answer.
O’Connell, meanwhile, turned in a couple of excellent performances, including outplaying Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead in a two-point loss. He also posted full-season sack (3.95%) and interception (1.6%) rates less half of Minshew’s, with just 2 fumbles. Despite the second-year flashes, however, the Purdue product doesn’t profile as a top-line NFL starter. He’s likely got a decent backup/spot starter career ahead of him.
With so many holes on the roster, Tom Brady and the new GM/head coach tandem of John Spytek and Pete Carroll could opt for a veteran stopgap like Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, or Aaron Rodgers. At this point, there’s neither a short-term difference-maker nor a clear long-term fix in this group, though each likely ensures a certain floor while allowing the team to add young talent elsewhere. Thus, the Raiders’ best shot at a sustainable solution is the draft.
This route comes with its own questions: Stand pat and hope that Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders falls to #6? Trade up?? Take the best remaining signal-caller at #37?
In pursuit of these answers and the prospects that could define the Raiders’ future under center, we’ve scoured the top NFL mock drafts. Here’s what we found.
Early First-Round QB Options
The 2025 NFL Draft’s quarterback conundrum starts at the top. If Will Levis’s time as the Tennessee Titans’ starter is over, they could go QB at #1. At this point in the process, the consensus among ESPN, PFF, The Athletic, and The Ringer is that Ward’s toughness, big-play ability, athleticism, and overall ceiling make him the pick over Sanders.
However, the Titans may choose the “best player available” route. This would lead to Colorado’s two-way stud and Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter, Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter, or LSU tackle Will Campbell — an ideal solution for one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines.
At #2, Cleveland is a wildcard. Whether the Browns take the massive financial hit of moving on from Deshaun Watson or simply wait out his contract, they need a quarterback. If the team doesn’t honor superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett’s trade request, adding Hunter or Carter and trying to contend with a veteran quarterback is an option.
Even so, at #3 the Giants are a virtual lock to pick a quarterback, having moved on from Daniel Jones and with no QBs of note on the roster. They are even a possible candidate to trade up for Ward. At #4 and #5, the Patriots (Drake Maye) and Jaguars (Trevor Lawrence) aren’t in the QB market, but could trade down with teams looking to jump up.
Will the Raiders Move for Shedeur Sanders?
Given all this, the top signal-caller in the class, the most likely to wind up in Silver and Black is Shedeur Sanders. What exactly that means varies significantly depending on who you ask.
On the one hand, Sanders is lauded for his smarts, toughness, accuracy on throws to all three levels, and — as evidenced by a 1.2% turnover-worthy play rate — a knack for protecting the ball. In his recently-published Top–100 Big Board, the Athletic’s Dane Brugler says these foundational skills “make a great foundation for an NFL quarterback” and expresses “no doubts that he can start at the next level.”
At the same time, a non-elite physical profile — Sanders is 6’1”, just under 200 pounds, and has a good-not-great arm — combined with questions about pocket management raise questions about his overall ceiling. Sanders only ranks #25 on the big board, with Brugler saying that “draft opinions on Sanders are wide-ranging throughout the league — and my evaluation of him seems to be somewhere in the middle.”
All of this may give the Raiders pause, especially with the likely steep cost of trading up. Ward and Sanders could also both be gone by the time the Raiders pick. In either scenario, the Raiders can look to another crop of quarterbacks.
GettyAlabama’s Jalen Milroe
Tier-2 QB Options
With the top two in the 2025 QB class seemingly set, the four signal-callers below them on the pecking order offer a diverse array of profiles and skill sets. This tier may not possess the long-term upside or NFL readiness of Ward or Sanders, but they do boast the mental and physical tools to deliver a long-term impact.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama (Redshirt Junior)
At 6’2”-220 with an incredible arm and an expected to be a sub-4.4 40 at the combine, Milroe may be the most intriguing quarterback prospect in this class. The Ringer’s Danny Kelly has noted that Milroe — who tallied 2,844 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air and another 726 and 20 scores on the ground in 2024 — could develop into a “true dual-threat runner and passer” in the mold of another ‘Bama alum, newly-crowned Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts. The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner likened Milroe’s speed and mobility (though, notably, not his passing) to those of Lamar Jackson. Unequivocal in his affinity for Milroe, who ranks #61 on his top-100, Brugler says, “As an athlete and person, he belongs in the first round.”
However…
While he possesses the character and raw tools to be an NFL star, Milroe is a project who must improve his accuracy, technique, and processing speed. He’s not a Day One starter and may need a full season on the bench and a staff committed to his development before he can contend with NFL defenses
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Senior)
At a solid 6’2”-225 with intelligence, competitive fire, a strong, accurate arm, a quick release, and decent mobility, Dart checks just about every box. In fact, on his show at The Ringer, Todd McShay has wondered whether Dart warrants QB2 consideration over Sanders. In his latest mock draft on NFL.com, Chad Reuter has Dart sneaking into the end of the first round.
Dart left USC upon Caleb Williams’s arrival in L.A. and thrived under Lane Kiffin, leaving as Ole Miss’s all-time lead in passing yards and total offense. Some NFL front offices may need convincing after Matt Corral flopped in the NFL. Also, according to Brugler, the #57 player on his top–100 needs to improve his “progression-based reads and anticipation (things he wasn’t asked to regularly do in college).” All of that said, there’s an awful lot here to like, especially late in the first or second round.
Tyler Shough, Louisville (Redshirt Senior)
There’s also plenty to like about Shough — size (6’5”-225), a powerful arm, quickness, and footwork. There are, however, some causes for concern, namely his age (25 in April), his injury history (broken collarbone in 2021, injured shoulder in 2022, broke his fibula in 2023, per The Courier-Journal), and an itinerant college career that started with two seasons at Oregon and three at Texas Tech before this past season at Louisville.
Will Howard, Ohio State (Redshirt Senior)
According to Baumgardner, “from toughness and character standpoints, there are no questions” about Howard, who “entered an insanely difficult situation this year and left with a national title. His competitive nature and ability to move on to the next play are enough to take a chance on.”
Despite his winning credentials and intangibles, however, Howard is the lowest-ranked prospect in this tier. His mobility, arm talent, and decision-making, described by Brugler as “functional”, suggest a spot starter/career backup ceiling.
