Pete Carroll's first NFL Draft selection as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders will come with the No. 6 overall pick, and the latest projection would ignite an intriguing competition at quarterback.
Perhaps the biggest offseason move for Carroll and new general manager John Spytek, the Raiders traded for 11-year veteran quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks.
Carroll previously signed Smith as head coach in Seattle back in 2020.
The former second-round pick has 83 career starts, including 52 starts in five seasons with Seattle. Smith, a former West Virginia star, put together his best season in 2022, when he threw for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.
Smith could find some early success at his new destination. However, it's unlikely that the 34-year-old is the long-term option.
According to a new mock draft from Marc Ross of NFL.com, Las Vegas jumps at the opportunity to add one of the top quarterbacks in the class by selecting Colorado's Shedeur Sanders at sixth overall.
While with the Seahawks, Carroll drafted future Super Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson despite signing veteran Matt Flynn in the 2012 offseason.
"So just because the Raiders traded for Geno Smith this offseason, it's not unthinkable for them to draft Sanders, who has a relationship with Las Vegas limited partner Tom Brady and wouldn't have to play immediately with Geno in tow," Ross wrote.
Sanders (6-foot-1.5, 212 pounds) led the country in completion rate (74%) with the fourth-most passing yards (4,134) and the second-most passing touchdowns (37) as a senior in 2024.
The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year has drawn a plethora of criticism during the pre-draft process, including the quality of competition in college, his outgoing, confident approach and the habit of "patting" the football before delivering a pass.
It remains to be seen, though, if those supposed issues will make a difference in his potential success at the next level.
With the Raiders, Sanders would have an opportunity to push Smith for the starting nod while, at worst, learning behind the veteran as a backup. That's assuming Sanders is ultimately available at No. 6 overall.
The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
