The biggest storyline of the NFL Draft thus far has not been any of the players selected, but rather, one notable prospect who has yet to hear his name called.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was linked to the Las Vegas Raiders all offseason, has yet to be selected through three whole rounds of the draft.
Many felt that he was in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the months leading up to the event and the Raiders were his backstop at No. 6 overall. But, Las Vegas passed on him four times during the first three rounds.
Raiders boldly let Shedeur Sanders know how they really feel
Las Vegas had back-to-back picks at the end of Round 3, and they selected Texas Tech guard Caleb Rogers and William & Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant instead of taking a chance on Sanders.
Rogers was taken with the No. 98 pick and will compete with Dylan Parham, Jordan Meredith and Alex Cappa for a starting spot on the offensive line. The 6-foot-5, 312-pound prospect had the third-highest athleticism score at the NFL combine, which is likely what got head coach Pete Caroll and general manager John Spytek excited.
Grant was selected just one pick later at No. 99 overall, and will serve as a swing tackle that can compete with both Kolton Miller and DJ Glaze. At 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, Grant also has 34 and 3/4-inch arms, which is a monstrous frame to work with for a young tackle. He also had the highest production score of any offensive lineman at the combine.
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Carroll's intent to create competition within the organization shines through clearly with these two picks. Neither are surefire starters at this point in their careers, but they have high ceilings that they can reach through good coaching and a commitment to getting better.
Both players were highly decorated in college, as Rogers earned back-to-back Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 honors for the Red Raiders, and Grant was an FCS All-American for the Tribe.
While Sanders could still end up in Las Vegas in the later rounds, the franchise sent a clear message on Friday evening by passing on him with consecutive picks.