Shedeur Sanders, Raiders Reportedly Set Visit amid 2025 NFL Draft Rumors

The acquisition of Geno Smith isn't stopping the Las Vegas Raiders from at least getting a close look at Shedeur Sanders leading up to the 2025 NFL draft.

Per Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, Sanders is scheduled to have an in-person visit with the Raiders next week as the team continues to do work on quarterbacks in this year's class.

Sanders and Cam Ward are the only quarterbacks in the 2025 draft who have been confirmed to meet with the Raiders. Ward is almost certain to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans.

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted Louisville's Tyler Shough will also visit the Raiders next week.

Smith recently signed a two-year, $75 million extension with the Raiders, but that might make it more likely that they attempt to pursue a quarterback in the draft.

There's no guaranteed money in Smith's new deal after the 2026 season, so the Raiders could move on from him without incurring any financial penalty. He will turn 35 during the upcoming season and has been inconsistent as a starter despite showing high-level throwing ability at times.

Sanders' draft stock is hard to parse out at this point. There are at least some teams who are skeptical of him as a high-ceiling player coming into the NFL.

In an informal poll of six high-level personnel evaluators around the NFL conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, only two of said they had Sanders as a "mid-to-late first-round talent." The other four didn't view Sanders as a first-round prospect.

There's frequently a quarterback tax that teams pay in the draft, especially in a year like this without many high-level players at the position. It wouldn't be a surprise if Sanders comes off the board sooner than some of the reports suggest he might.

The Raiders could also look to take advantage of a Sanders slide by trying to wait until the second round to get him or trading back into the first round if he's still on the board late on Day 1.

Vegas' current roster situation would seem to make it difficult to justify using the No. 6 overall pick on a quarterback with a good starter already in place.

The Raiders' second-round pick is at No. 37 overall, but it comes after other quarterback-needy teams like the Cleveland Browns (No. 33) and New York Giants (No. 34) make their second selection.

Using the traditional draft-trade chart value, the cost to move up to No. 32 would be the 37th pick and a mid-fourth-round selection.

All of this would be contingent on Sanders still being on the board if the Raiders pass on him with their first pick and them wanting to draft him. Their visit with him could be a key factor in helping them make that decision.