A 2025 NFL mock draft from ESPN has the Raiders trading up for Shedeur Sanders (but not at No. 1!)

With the 2024 NFL Draft over (you can read our ranking of every team’s haul here!), the buzz about who is going to be taken next year has already begun.

Right now, there’s a lot of talk about Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders — the son of coach Deion Sanders — going No. 1 overall as one of the 10 top prospects to watch this season in college football. He went first overall to the Titans in our first 2025 mock draft from Cory Woodroof.

But in a new 2025 mock from ESPN, Jordan Reid has Sanders going No. 5 thanks to a trade up from the Las Vegas Raiders. Here’s his take:

With Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers on offense, the Raiders can set up a young passer really well. And Sanders is a smooth operator whose game centers around his great ball placement (69.3% completion rate last season, eighth in the FBS) and calm demeanor when protected in the pocket. He took 52 sacks in 2023 behind a struggling offensive line, so Sanders’ internal clock must speed up before he gets to the next level; he tends to compound mistakes by holding onto the ball too long. But he has a ton of talent and can certainly be the answer for Las Vegas. I see a lot of similarities in his game to Geno Smith.

There you have it! Make sure to check out our very early 2025 NFL mock draft from Cory Woodroof!