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Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.
The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are two of the teams with the biggest need at quarterback in the draft and both are racing for the top pick. Both teams are 2-12, which is tied for the worst record in the NFL.
If the season ended today, the Giants would have the No. 1 pick but based on how the season should end, the Raiders would have the No. 1 pick if they lose out, per Tankathon. There are still several months before the draft but right now, it seems like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders could be the top quarterback in the class.
However, he’s appeared to have his eyes set on the Raiders for a while now. He’s hinted at interest in Las Vegas and so has his father Deion Sanders, but whether or not he’d be interested in the Giants has been less clear. Now ESPN’s Jordan Raanan has offered some more clarity on where he’d prefer to play.
“Multiple sources close to Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado program believe his preference would be to land in Las Vegas,” Raanan wrote in a Dec. 20 column. “The Raiders and Giants are currently tied with the worst record in the NFL.”
Giants & Raiders Are 2 of NFL’s Most Dysfunctional Franchises
Deion Sanders has said that he would help force his son to certain teams if there was a chance he could go to a city he didn’t want to. It remains to be seen how far he’s willing to take that. The Raiders and Giants have been two of the most dysfunctional franchises in the NFL over the last decade.
Since 2012, both teams have only made it to the playoffs twice. Since Tom Coughlin left the team in 2015, the Giants have had five different head coaches. During that same time, the Raiders have also had five head coaches.
Sanders’ preference for the Raiders could merely be due to the fact that he’d rather be in Las Vegas than New York. It will also be interesting to see if his preferences change if the two franchises decide to make changes at head coach. Sanders may like Antonio Pierce as a head coach but may not like who the Raiders could replace him with.
Cam Ward May Be QB1
There’s a lot of focus on where Sanders will want to play but it’s possible that teams don’t even view him as the top quarterback in the draft. According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, Miami quarterback Cam Ward may actually be ahead of Sanders on most draft boards.
“Miami’s Cam Ward has the early lead on the race for the draft’s QB1, while Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders will have his supporters among teams,” Howe wrote in a Dec. 20 column. “Sanders will need to nail the interview process to solidify himself in the top two, according to a couple of NFL personnel evaluators.”
Ward is a prospect who has more upside but Sanders appears to be closer to being ready to start in NFL games. Plus, he brings a lot of star power that might help a franchise like the Raiders that is having a hard time building a fan base in Las Vegas.
