With the NFL Combine approaching for the Las Vegas Raiders, the team is looking to see who they want with the sixth overall pick in the upcoming draft. While some fans say the Raiders should take Shedeur Sanders from the University of Colorado, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. goes another way in his pre-NFL Combine mock draft.
Kiper stayed on the offensive side of the ball for Las Vegas as while Cam Ward was taken by the Cleveland Browns and Sanders was left for the Raiders to take. The long-time ESPN NFL Draft expert took Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty instead with the sixth overall pick.
“I thought about Sanders here, especially given the link between him and minority owner Tom Brady,” Kiper said. “It’s absolutely plausible. Give it another month, and Las Vegas might even be considering trading up for him. But free agency still has to play out, and any number of available signal-callers could fit into this offense. Sam Darnold might be the answer. Justin Fields could bring upside. Russell Wilson has the Pete Carroll connection from Seattle. So right now, I’m looking at other positions here.”
Mel Kiper Jr. further explains the Raiders taking Ashton Jeanty
There have been many veteran quarterbacks connected to the Raiders which is why Kiper goes away from a young one with the sixth overall pick. He believes Jeanty, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy after an impeccable season, can bring a resurgence to Las Vegas’ running game.
“Plus, look at what happened when the Raiders missed out on the QBs last year,” Kiper said. “They landed Brock Bowers, who looks like a star at tight end. Now they have the chance to add another one in Jeanty and clean up the league’s worst run game (3.6 yards per carry in 2024). And speaking of Carroll, remember his background. He leaned on the run game in Seattle for years, and he even used a first-round pick on Rashaad Penny in 2018. Jeanty brings it all — speed, power, elusiveness, contact balance and vision. He ran for 2,601 yards this past season, and he can make a dent as a pass catcher on top of that. Las Vegas can advance the offense by getting yet another elite playmaker into the fold and looking elsewhere for a more stable QB solution.”
Some believe the Raiders should trade up for Shedeur Sanders
Some disagree with Kiper, even ESPN’s Aaron Schatz who believes Las Vegas should trade up for Sanders.
“ESPN’s Field Yates has Sanders falling to the Raiders with the No. 6 pick, but waiting for him to fall to them would not be the bold move. The move would be to trade up into the top three picks, preferably the top two, to ensure that Sanders comes to Las Vegas,” Schatz said. “Obviously, the problem is that it would cost additional draft capital, especially since the Raiders have other glaring needs, and the top three teams (Titans, Browns, and Giants) also need a young quarterback and would need to be enticed to trade down. Nonetheless, if the Raiders want to guarantee they’ll get Sanders, they’ll need to make a trade.”
The Raiders are hopefully looking to improve under new head coach Pete Carroll after a disappointing 4-13 record last season.
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