With the 2025 NFL Draft less than a week away, former NFL scout and current NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah held a conference call to share his thoughts on some of the top prospects and team needs across the league. Among the topics discussed were the various directions the Raiders can go with the sixth overall pick.
Asked about the Raiders' potential interest in Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Jeremiah had this to say.
"I would think with Geno [Smith] that he's got a little more runway there knowing the affinity that Pete [Carroll] has for him. Both things can be true. I think they could like Shedeur, but then also feel like that's not the right time to already make that move."
While the fascination with Sanders and his eventual draft position is high, no player has been mocked to the Raiders more than Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. But as the draft nears, Jeremiah is less certain he'll be available when the Silver and Black get on the clock.
"I would have said a month ago, Ashton Jeanty will be there and he would be a great option for them," Jeremiah said. "As we come down the homestretch - and maybe I'm reading too much into it, but when I listen to the guys in Jacksonville talk, and you listen to the head coach and the general manager discuss what they're looking for in a player and they talk about a statement pick and the first pick of their new regime there and valuing the things that they're valuing in terms of the character, the competitiveness, all those things, I'm like, golly, that sounds like two players to me. That sounds like Ashton Jeanty, and that sounds like Jalon Walker. I would not rule out the possibility that Jeanty went ahead of that [No. 6] pick, and then he's off the board."
That's part of the process General Manager John Spytek hopes to work through over the next couple of days as they put the finishing touches on their draft plans.
"When you're picking six, you only got to figure out five different combinations or players that could possibly go," Spytek said Friday. "I mean, our pro department up there right now with Ben [Chester] and Jordan [Brown] and Jordie [Hein] is doing a great job of tracking visits and private workouts and who was at pro days to try to figure out kind of where these teams might go to help you prepare.
"But at the same time, that's a lot of wasted energy to me, because at the end of the day we have no idea what these teams are going to do. We have a sense, but we're guessing. And I think our focus, coach and I's focus, is more on the Raiders and are we comfortable with a stack of players that are there at six. Would we trade out? Would we trade up? Would we just stay and pick? What does that look like?"
If Spytek and Carroll do make a pick at six, it would be the team's highest draft selection since 2019 and second selection ever at the sixth spot. The other came in 1988 and gave the Raiders a future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver in Tim Brown.
While Jeremiah projected Jeanty to land in Las Vegas in his latest mock draft, he did provide other potential targets for the Raiders.
"When I talk to folks that are tight with those inside the Raiders organization, they've talked about the line of scrimmage being a big focus," Jeremiah said. "They are in a really good spot on that defensive line if they can stay healthy. I'm like, man, what if you added a Mason Graham to that group, and he's playing next to [Christian] Wilkins and Maxx [Crosby] and [Malcolm] Koonce. That's pretty fun to see what that could look like. Or if Jalon Walker is there, adding just a fast ball and a versatile chess piece that you could move around. Those would be fun.
"On the offensive side of the ball, again, I'm always looking, trying to find connections and what it could look like. When I was talking about offensive linemen, and maybe someone who could eventually be your long-term starter at a tackle spot, but if you wanted to, you could play him at a guard – Kelvin Banks. It's not hard to draw the line between Pete Carroll, Steve Sarkisian and Kelvin Banks."
Read more about Jeremiah's top 50 prospects entering the NFL Draft.
For more draft content, visit raiders.com/draft.
View photos of the draft prospects that top analysts are predicting the Raiders may select at No. 6 overall. (Last updated Tuesday, March 4, 2025).
DL Mason Graham - Michigan
QB Cam Ward - Miami
CB Will Johnson - Michigan
QB Shedeur Sanders - Colorado
WR Tetairoa McMillan - Arizona
OL Tyler Booker - Alabama
RB Ashton Jeanty - Boise State
WR Travis Hunter - Colorado
OT Will Campbell - LSU
DE Jalon Walker - Georgia
