The Las Vegas Raiders are squarely looking at the draft right now.
With a 2-11 record, the Raiders had realistically been eliminated from the postseason long before it was confirmed. While the nine-game losing streak has made this season even more difficult to stomach, most fans have subscribed to the thought that the pain is worth it if the Raiders can secure a high pick in the draft. A top pick can be used to secure a quarterback of the future, giving the Raiders someone to build around for the foreseeable future.
After Week 14’s games, those fans may be getting their wish. With the Jacksonville Jaguars’ upset victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, the Raiders officially hold the number one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Las Vegas is now firmly in the hunt for the No. 1 overall pick,” said NFL.com’s Chad Reuter. “But whether the Raiders are selecting first or in the top three, it’s hard to imagine this franchise bypassing a young passer in the draft. While it’s possible one of the veteran QBs currently on the team’s roster could return for next season, I’d expect it to be in a mentor role, or as a short-term option to begin the 2025 season.”
While Reuter’s model currently has the Raiders at number two behind the New York Giants, it only takes into account the current strength of schedule, which is the first tiebreaker between teams with the same record in the draft order. Currently, the Raiders have played a tougher schedule than the Giants, but the Giants have the fifth-hardest remaining schedule in the league, while the Raiders rank only 23rd in that category. By season’s end, the Raiders would edge the Giants out with a weaker schedule, granting them the number one pick.
Regardless of where the Raiders ultimately end up in the order, if they stay in the current range, most analysts have already tabbed Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as their preferred target.
“That feels like the worst-kept secret in sports right now is that Shedeur Sanders wants to go to the Raiders, and the Raiders should want Shedeur Sanders,” ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said on the morning show Get Up. “I don’t believe the Raiders matter until they get a quarterback.”
“You’re in a division with Patrick Mahomes, in a division with Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert. You’re now in a division with Sean Payton and Bo Nix. You don’t have a quarterback, and so you are more than likely going to have the first pick of the draft, you have to go get a quarterback.”
Having the first overall pick means the Raiders get the opportunity to decide their fate in the draft. If that means the losses continue to pile up, some Raiders fans would not be opposed to that.
