Ian Rapoport Identifies the Most Likely Destination for Shedeur Sanders

The Las Vegas Raiders, who once seemed locked in on quarterback Shedeur Sanders, changed course when they acquired Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks.

This led the Raiders to choose running back Ashton Jeanty as their first-round selection, grabbing him sixth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

But the Sanders-Raiders connection might not be dead after all.

With his unexpected slide into the second round, NFL insider Ian Rapoport believes Las Vegas remains squarely in play for the Colorado star.

"The Raiders appear to be the top choice and most feasible destination for Shedeur Sanders, according to Ian Rapoport. Other potential teams mentioned include Seattle, Arizona, or Dallas," Dov Kleiman stated on X.

Sanders’ draft journey has been puzzling.

After the Cleveland Browns and Raiders passed on him, many experts projected the New Orleans Saints would select him with the No. 9 overall pick.

When that didn’t materialize, attention shifted to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21, but they also went in another direction.

The peak of the drama occurred when the New York Giants moved back into the first round but chose not to select Sanders, instead going with Jaxson Dart.

The choice was quite surprising, particularly since Dart became only the second quarterback selected right after Cam Ward who had gone first overall to the Tennessee Titans.

Although the Raiders seem committed to Smith at present, his advanced years combined with his contractual status suggest otherwise.

Given his age at 35 and with a contract designed to provide the Raiders with versatility, Las Vegas could be ideally set up to bring in Sanders as their quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Rapoport also thinks that the Steelers might choose Shedeur with their third-round pick.