The Las Vegas Raiders do not have many options when it comes to quarterbacks in the 2025 draft.
While the Raiders being equipped with a high pick in the draft will help, the quarterback class is not as deep as it was this past April, when six quarterbacks went before the team even made their selection. This year, the choice boils down to either Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward at the top of the order with very few options behind them.
The Raiders have been connected to Sanders for a long time, but mock drafts have painted Ward as a solid backup plan if the New York Giants secure the number one pick and choose the Colorado quarterback.
On Saturday, Ward discussed the possibility of being drafted with a high pick, whether it is to the Raiders or the Giants.
“It’s a blessing, especially to be in this position,” Ward said. “The journey I had to solidify myself as one of the best quarterbacks in college to potentially get to [the] NFL. I mean, it’s all God. I mean, the teammates that I have around me, they help me put myself in this position. We all made plays, so, you know, me projected to go that high, it’s something that I don’t take lightly. I have, you know, just a chip on my shoulder, you know, that’ll never leave.”
Ward has succeeded at virtually every level of college football, starting out at FCS program Incarnate Word before moving on to Washington State and then Miami. In his senior year with the Hurricanes, Ward completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 4,123 yards, 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions, good enough to secure him a spot as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Ward is not necessarily a perfect prospect, with age (he will be 23 during his rookie season) and turnovers (23 interceptions over the last three years) being red flags. That said, even if he is the less-polished product compared to Sanders, the ceiling is undeniably high.
“Cam Ward is among the most gifted throwers in the NFL draft class,” said Bleacher Report’s scouting department. “The combination of arm talent, mobility/athleticism, and accuracy is growing among NFL scouts. He is comfortable using hard counts to force the defense out of their disguises, then set the protection to pick up any indicating extra rushers from the second or third levels of the defense. He has superstar potential if he can cut down on mistakes/risky decisions.”
Ward is by no means a consolation prize for the Raiders if they miss out on Sanders. If the Raiders draft and develop Ward properly, they may ultimately end up being better off for it.
Shedeur Sanders courting interest from Raiders draft order rival
