The Las Vegas Raiders’ plan in the upcoming draft is looking quite obvious in the eyes of experts.
From the beginning, the Raiders have been connected to virtually every top quarterback in the draft class. Georgia’s Carson Beck, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, and Miami’s Cameron Ward have all been considered for the Raiders’ pick at some point or another this year, highlighting just how desperately the Raiders are in need of a franchise quarterback.
Late in the year and with the college football regular season wrapping up, mock drafts have pinpointed one prospect for the Raiders to select with the second overall pick: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
“[Raiders principal owner] Mark Davis has made no secret about how he would like someone of Sanders’ flash to be the face of the franchise, and it’s not crazy to think this could be a package deal to also land [Colorado head coach] Deion [Sanders] for better prime-time action in Las Vegas,” said The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer.
The interesting part of this is how Sanders’s NFL fate seem directly connected to his head coach and father. With Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce on the hot seat, all options will be on the table should the team decide to make a change. If the Raiders do ultimately draft Shedeur, the rumors of Deion joining his son in Las Vegas will continue to grow louder.
Iyer is not the only expert to pitch the Sanders family as a package deal, however.
“Las Vegas would love to keep tanking to secure the No. 1 overall pick for its choice of quarterbacks,” said CBS Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer. “Sanders has the tools to be a top quarterback and can layer the ball into all three levels of the field. A big-time prospect, he has steadily improved every season. The Sanders family’s ties to the Raiders make this pick intriguing, with the possibility of Deion Sanders coaching his son if owner Mark Davis opts for a bold move.”
It would be an unsurprising decision if the Raiders ultimately decide to draft Sanders, regardless of if Deion joins him in the NFL or not. Sanders has worked out with Raiders part-owner Tom Brady before, and was even signed to a name, image and likeness deal by the future Hall of Famer’s sports apparel line BRADY Brand. Sanders has also linked himself to the Raiders multiple times throughout the season, including Friday, when he shared an Instagram story of himself driving past Allegiant Stadium.
Shedeur Sanders isn’t even hiding the fact he wants to be a #Raider ?
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 6, 2024
Sanders to the Raiders will remain one of the most popular pairings of prospect and team in draft discourse. If the Raiders lock themselves into as high of a draft pick as they hold right now, Sanders is a good bet to wear the Silver and Black in 2025.
