Just a day after Colorado head coach Deion Sanders pleaded his case to the Las Vegas Raiders and asked them to draft his boys, Las Vegas was put in position to do exactly that -- at least, for the moment.
The Raiders took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Week 14 matchup that you could say was a pivotal one for both clubs. For the Bucs, a win meant they could take sole possession of the NFC South as the Atlanta Falcons dropped to the Minnesota Vikings.
For the Raiders, though, there was a monumental draft positioning storyline which was brewing. Heading into the weekend, the Jacksonville Jaguars held the no. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. And then, they didn't.
The Jaguars came out and defeated their division rival, the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, improving to a record of 3-10 and dropping back to the no. 5 overall pick in next year's draft.
Meanwhile, with the Raiders' loss to the Bucs, Vegas moved all the way up to the no. 1 pick. Because of the tiebreaker being strength of schedule, that's what allowed the Raiders to stay ahead of the New York Giants.
Raiders' updated draft position after loss to Bucs dramatically changes things
Let's check in on current draft positioning among the top eight teams.
1. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
2. New York Giants (2-11)
3. New England (3-10)
4. Carolina Panthers (3-10)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10)
6. Tennessee Titans (3-10)
7. New York Jets (3-10)
8. Cleveland Browns (3-10)
More Raiders news:
As of right now, the Raiders are in full control of the 2025 draft. Should things remain this way over the next four weeks, then Las Vegas very well could have their opportunity to draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders first overall.
Regarded as the top quarterback in the class by most experts, Sanders is maybe the only prospect who qualifies as a potential franchise player at the position. Other prospects like Cam Ward, Jalen MIlroe, and others all have some big question marks.
If the Raiders land the no. 1 pick, it very well could be Sanders. This team knows it's biggest need is at quarterback after the revolving door it's seen since the departure of Derek Carr, and after watching Aidan O'Connell get injured yet again this week, that might have put the final nail in his coffin.
We know what O'Connell is, and that's a great backup. But, he's not a franchise quarterback.
The silver lining amid this lost 2024 season is the idea that Las Vegas just might get their hands on the best quarterback in next year's draft. Here's to hoping things don't change in the next month.