ESPN: Las Vegas Raiders could trade up for Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders in 2025

The race for NFL teams to draft a franchise quarterback is never ending — and perhaps no team is more desperate to obtain one than the Las Vegas Raiders.

ESPN’s Matt Miller has the Raiders projected to trade up to take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, swapping picks with the Carolina Panthers to get the son of Pro Football Hall of Fmer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.

From ESPN: “The Raiders went 8-9 last season, and the late-season 5-4 surge under coach Antonio Pierce didn't have much to do with the quarterback play. The team had 20 passing touchdowns to 18 interceptions, as rookie Aidan O'Connell replaced Jimmy Garoppolo for 11 games. O'Connell may prove his status in Year 2, but 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. He threw 27 touchdown passes to three interceptions for the Buffaloes last year.”

Sanders, 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, started his career at Jackson State and won the Jerry Rice Award as the nation’s outstanding FCS freshman in 2021 and was the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Colorado opens the season on Aug. 29 at home against North Dakota State.