The Las Vegas Raiders will need to bring in a new quarterback in 2025.
While much of the early hype has revolved around Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward in the draft, that has died down after two straight victories have moved the Raiders out of the top five selections.
There is now some focus on whether the Raiders should instead go after a free agent or even trade for a quarterback like JJ McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
However, a recent mock draft explored the possibility of the Raiders falling in love with either Sanders or Ward enough to justify an aggressive deal.
Cam Garrity of Patriots Wire has the New England Patriots trading the first overall pick to the Raiders in exchange for their first and second-round picks in 2025, as well as their first and third-rounders in both 2026 and 2027.
“The trade allows the Las Vegas Raiders to select their quarterback of the future, Shedeur Sanders, while the Patriots stockpile premium assets for future drafts,” Garrity wrote.
There is being aggressive to move up in the draft, and then there is practically mortgaging the future like this trade demands.
Sacrificing three years of first-round picks plus more to move up seven spots in the draft is an incredibly risky move, and one that would almost certainly cost general manager Tom Telesco his job if it backfires horrifically.
To provide an example of what a deal could look like if the Raiders really did want to move up to the first overall pick, Telesco would have to look at 2023 as a framework.
In the 2023 Draft, the Chicago Bears traded the first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, who used it to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. In exchange, the Bears acquired wide receiver D.J. Moore, first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 and second-round picks in 2023 and 2025.
Those picks have turned into offensive tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and, most notably, quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in 2024. The trade will officially be completed if the Bears use the 2025 second-round pick.
The Panthers moved up eight spots to make the deal happen, so Garrity’s hypothetical trade essentially replaces Moore with an extra first and third-round pick.
While it might be tempting for the Raiders to find their franchise quarterback, it is hard to imagine this deal being appealing to them. The Raiders need help at several positions this off-season, and sacrificing that much premium draft capital in a rebuilding effort is questionable at best.
If this is what it takes to move up to the top of the order, the Raiders would be better off just staying at eight and letting the board come to them.
Raiders predicted to create shocking quarterback-coach pairing for 2025
