Tom Brady and Shedeur Sanders go way back, having established a football relationship since Sanders' days as a high school quarterback.
And with Brady seemingly very much involved in the decision-making process for the Raiders now that he's a minority owner, let's assume the legendary quarterback makes sure his team can draft the Colorado quarterback in April.
Las Vegas has the No. 6 overall pick -- so there are no guarantees Sanders is wearing Silver and Black in September. If the Raiders trade up to No. 1 overall, that can, of course, happen.
In this mock, Brady and Co. -- which now includes general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll -- make a deal with the Tennessee Titans and promptly select Sanders to be the club's next quarterback. It'd fill a need. Sanders is reasonably pro-ready from a full-field read perspective.
And if you hit on the quarterback, no one ever remembers, or cares, what you sent in a draft-day trade to get him.
The draft order below was determined using the current 2025 NFL Draft order.
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Mock Trade from
Tennessee Titans
Round 1 - Pick 1
We cannot rule out the possibility of the Raiders -- and new minority owner Tom Brady -- making an aggressive push to draft Shedeur Sanders. There's a chance Sanders' connection with Brady will make it too dicey for Las Vegas to simply hope and wait for him to fall to No. 6 overall.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Cam Ward has some footwork issues to clean up but does have quality improvisational skill and improved from in the pocket in each of his last three seasons in college. The Browns HAVE to draft a quarterback, right?
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Semi nightmare for the Giants, but Jalen Milroe has freaky talent and is an ascending thrower. Another high-upside passer for Brian Daboll.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Travis Hunter to the Patriots would be tremendous for everyone involved. New England gets a ridiculous two-way player, and Hunter can be featured prominently right away.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
The Jaguars have to get more talent into the secondary. Will Johnson checks the boxes for a lockdown No. 1 cornerback.
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Mock Trade from
Las Vegas Raiders
Round 1 - Pick 6
A trade that works out for both sides. The Titans get a freaky specimen on the edge -- which is a major need -- and, along with this pick, the Raiders' 2026 first-round pick, their 2027 first-rounder, their second-round pick in 2025 and only send back a fourth-round pick this year with No. 1 overall.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
The youth movement at offensive tackle continues for the Jets with the cleanest offensive tackle in the class.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Tetairoa McMillan would give Bryce Young a serious rebounder on the perimeter, which is exactly what he needs.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Stat-wise, Luther Burden III didn't have a tremendous 2024, but his traits are fantastic. He's sudden, runs crisp routes, and bounces off tackles on a routine basis after the catch. And he tracks it effortlessly downfield. Another weapon for Derek Carr. It's needed.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
How about a scenario in which the Cowboys don't draft Ashton Jeanty ... and Ben Johnson and the Bears land the premier running back in this class?
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Round 1 - Pick 11
James Pearce Jr. is a long, bendy edge rusher with elite-level speed-to-power conversion and plenty of room to grow into his frame in the NFL. Running mate for Nick Bosa.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
If he can't pick Jeanty, I still expect Jerry Jones to want to make a splash in Round 1, and the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Tyler Warren with impeccable receiving skills would be just that.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Malaki Starks would give the Dolphins another premier playmaker at the safety spot who will contribute on three downs in a big way. He'll probably re-sign, but Jevon Holland is a free agent.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Emeka Egbuka can win down the field with speed and plus ball-tracking, and his blocking prowess would mesh well with the Colts' offensive identity.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Jalon Walker is a do-everything linebacker/edge hybrid who'd be a welcomed addition to Atlanta's relatively weak second level.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
The Cardinals get a premier interior pass rusher in the middle of Round 1.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Bengals have to get nastier up front, and Kenneth Grant is a ball of energy with quality skill to disrupt the backfield.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Tyler Booker is an NFL-ready guard who'd bolster the Seahawks' run-game woes from 2024.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
The Buccaneers need to add more juice to the outside of their pass-rushing unit. They get a versatile, uniquely talented rusher in Nic Scourton.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Jahdae Barron has the plus man-coverage skills Vance Joseph will love across from Patrick Surtain II.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Benjamin Morrison is simply too sudden for the Steelers to pass on him here. He'll be an instant starter in Pittsburgh across from Joey Porter Jr.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Jim Harbaugh goes back to Michigan for a gifted tight end for the middle of the field for Justin Herbert.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
The Packers get a gifted upfield rusher who also held his own against the run on a quality South Carolina defensive front in 2024.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Before his injury, Shavon Revel felt like a first-round lock. With his injury occurring so early in the 2024 season, the Vikings are fine selecting him here. He's long, uber-talented and comes with plus ball skills.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
The Texans simply need more offensive line talent up front to better protect C.J. Stroud. Kelvin Banks Jr. had a fantastic season in pass protection for the Longhorns.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
The Rams get an under control right tackle to eventually be the heir apparent to the super-reliable Rob Havenstein.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
With Ronnie Stanley set to hit free agency, the Ravens get a thick but balanced left tackle, adding another huge blocker from the University of Minnesota to the offensive line.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Green needs to add weight and power to his game -- the rest of his profile looks first-round caliber. The burst and flattening ability are tremendous.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Given Bobby Wagner's age, Dan Quinn looks for the next quarterback of his defense, and Carson Schwesinger will probably be the consensus top off-ball linebacker in the class.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
This would be another Greg Rousseau-type project for the Bills, because Shemar Stewart is young and raw but a ridiculous specimen on the outside.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
This is a Georgia defensive lineman available for the Eagles in the first round. Howie Roseman adds another Bulldog to the front.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Back-to-back first-round receivers for the Chiefs, as they pick up a speedster with good polish in Matthew Golden.
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