This usually get weird in the late stages of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Las Vegas Raiders decided to lean into that by drafting a player who will need to learn a new position in the pros.
With the No. 213 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott with the goal of converting him to wide receiver. Tom Brady, who has some sway in that Raiders front office, may be trying to replicate one of the most improbable success stories from his New England Patriots days.
Brady already saw one college quarterback make a successful transition over to wide receiver when Julian Edelman went from Kent State passer to reliable underneath threat, and Mellott might be in for a similar developmental path if everything goes as planned.
Raiders may have drafted next Julian Edelman in Montana State QB/WR Tommy Mellott
Mellott won the Walter Payton Award, which is the FCS version of the Heisman Trophy, after leading the Bobcats to a 15-1 record and an appearance in the FCS Championship Game. Oddly enough, he lost that game 35-32 to North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller, who the Raiders picked just two selections after Mellott.
Mellott's quarterback numbers are exemplary. Mellott threw for 31 touchdowns and just two interceptions last year, all while running for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. However, teams are concerned about a 6-0, 205-pound player who already has some suspect arm strength sticking in the pros.
Mellott showed some tremendous athletic ability throughout his final collegiate season, so much so that the Raiders believe he could be capable of making the transition to wide receiver in a way few have before. Brady has seen it work in the past, and Mellott's college pedigree suggests he is worthy of such an undertaking.
If he doesn't move to wideout and star, the Raiders can cut bait with him as a risky sixth-round pick. If he becomes the next version of Edelman for Brady's Raiders, John Spytek and Pete Carroll could like geniuses who saw something that no one else in the league could have foreseen.