Scout’s Take: Former Scout Casts Doubt On Raiders’ Draft Choice
The Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback. This isn’t a secret. Gardner Minshew likely isn’t the answer, and it doesn’t look like the franchise has a whole lot of faith in Aidan O’Connell, either. Desmond Ridder will not be the future of the franchise.
So, how will the Raiders address their issue under center?
The most likely scenario is that Las Vegas will draft a signal-caller, which is almost certainly what the Raiders would have done last spring had they not been so far down in the draft order.
Of course, the top target for the Raiders is almost surely Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders, who many feel is the best quarterback in the draft class.
But is Sanders a sure thing in the NFL?
Former New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly has raised some concerns about Sanders and recently took to social media to discuss them.
Kelly provided five reasons—with extravagant detail—as to why he is a bit worried about Sanders on the NFL level, with those reasons being hesitation to pull the trigger, lack of throwing anticipation on intermediate route levels against man coverage, ball security issues, character issues and a checkered medical history.
Some have also wondered whether or not Sanders can consistently throw the deep ball, as his pure arm talent has been called into question. Not only that, but his pedestrian mobility is a bit of an issue.
All of that being said, you can go through any of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 class and find some negative attributes. People did it last year with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, too. There is no such thing as a perfect player.
But is Sanders really worth the hype?
The 22-year-old has thrown for 2,882 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 72.9 percent of his passes this season.
Those are obviously terrific numbers, but will they translate on to the NFL level?
Las Vegas seems like a natural fit for Sanders. A big-market franchise that is in desperate need of a savior? Seems like the ideal marriage.
Still, there are no sure things, and if the Raiders are fortunate enough to land Sanders, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the languishing franchise has been rescued.
