The Las Vegas Raiders are hosting several top targets ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, and quarterbacks are in abundance.
Per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, "In addition to the group there now, the Raiders also have a 30 visit slated for Monday with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, sources say. So with Geno Smith locked up through '27—and [Shedeur] Sanders, [Quinn] Ewers, [Will] Howard and [Jaxson] Dart all visiting—Vegas is kicking tires on developing a QB behind him."
The Raiders' trade for Smith allows them room to wait on a quarterback -- they might not even take one in 2025 (though the chances are good they pull the trigger).
Sanders is the No. 2 quarterback on Pro Football Focus' big board and the No. 45 overall prospect.
"Sanders may be below average in stature and arm talent compared to NFL quarterbacks, but he plays the game cleanly, takes care of the football and is tough as nails with ice in his veins under pressure," wrote PFF's Trevor Sikkema.
Howard is the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 113 overall prospect.
"Howard checks a lot of boxes: experience, size and a willingness to attack all coverages. He doesn't bring special arm talent, but he could develop into an NFL starter," Sikkema wrote.
Dart is No. 6 for his position and No. 134 overall.
"Dart brings an alluring two-sport throwing background (baseball and football) to the quarterback position, including natural movements and playmaking ability out of structure," Sikkema wrote. "But so much of his success at Ole Miss felt scheme-dependent. He must improve his full-field defensive reads and fundamentals to truly attack defenses with anticipation and ball placement."
Ewers is No. 8 and No. 147 overall.
"Ewers' arm talent will get him drafted, but his inconsistencies are too prevalent right now. To succeed in the NFL, he must clean up his footwork, pocket management, post-snap diagnosis and play under pressure."
The Raiders could very well be interested in Oregon's Dillon Gabriel as well; the biggest knock against him is his small stature. Notre Dame's Riley Leonard will garner interest, too.
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The addition of safety Jamal Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders is a bit surprising given his injury history, but the Raiders brass is keeping their fingers crossed hoping the three-time Pro Bowl safety can stay healthy. In an interview with Raider Nation Radio 920 AM on Wednesday, Raiders general manager John Spytek revealed Adams will "play probably a little closer to the line of scrimmage than a true safety." It is not surprising Spytek would say such a thing since Adams played like a hybrid linebacker for head coach Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks. In Seattle, Adams played 34 games for Carroll, including one game in 2022 due to a quad injury in the season opener against the Denver Broncos. He only played nine games in his final season with Carroll and the Seahawks in 2023 before joining the Tennessee Titans and Detroit Lions last season. The 29-year-old Adams is entering his ninth season after he was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. If Adams can stay healthy, it could turn out to be a great thing for the Raiders since they need a playmaker and veteran leadership on the field. Spytek's words seem to indicate Adams will have a role when the season gets underway against the New England Patriots on Sept. 7. It will not be surprising if Adams gets a lot of reps during the preseason to see if he can stay healthy. For the Raiders' sake, they better hope they get the early version of Adams, who had 9.5 sacks in his first season with the Seahawks in 2020 - an NFL record for a defensive back. Spytek and Carroll are banking on Adams to remain healthy for the Raiders and give the team another threat on the defensive side to complement star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
It seems like it might be a little longer before Deion Sanders can join the rest of his Colorado coaching staff. In a video recently posted by his son, Deion Sanders Jr, the NFL legend admitted that he's not yet fully recovered from his undisclosed health issue. “You know I’m still going through something,” the head coach said. “I ain’t all the way recovered.” Almost two weeks ago, Sanders took the stage at Big 12 media day, but he didn't want to address his health issues. “I’m not here to talk about my health,” Sanders said. “I’m here to talk about my team.” According to the Athletic, Sanders, who's recovering in his home in Texas, has been in close contact with his coaching staff. Colorado athletic director Rick George also said that Sanders would "probably" report to campus within the next two weeks, per the Athletic. The former Super Bowl winner has a long history of health concerns. He had two toes amputated in 2021 because of blood clots, and he went under the knife again in 2023 after reportedly dealing with some excruciating pain. The Buffaloes are transitioning into the post-Shedeur Sanders/Travis Hunter era and looking to build from last year's 9-4 record and big win at the Alamo Bowl.
Milwaukee Brewers Jacob Misiorowski was back on the mound on Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners, and even though he pitched just 3.2 innings, he continued to show why he is one of baseball's most exciting young talents. Prior to be pulled after 64 pitches, he allowed just three hits, walked one and struck out seven to continue his stunning start to his big league career. He also continued to light up the radar gun in a way that no other pitcher in the modern era has. Following Tuesday's start, where he regularly clocked in at over 101 mph, he has now thrown 39 pitches this season that have eclipsed 101 mph on the radar gun. He has done that in just 29.1 innings over six starts. By comparison, every other starting pitcher in Major League Baseball has tallied just 17 pitches of 101 mph or higher — combined. But it's not just about how he stacks up with pitchers this season that is staggering. It's that he is near the top of the list for 101 mph pitches for a career. Here are two of his 101 mph heaters from Tuesday. The ball just erupts out of his hand at the hitters. When you add in his mid-90s change-up and high-90s breaking pitches he is already one of the nastiest pitchers in the majors. It is that sort of electric stuff that made him a National League All-Star after just five appearances. For the season, he has now struck out 40 batters in 29.1 innings of work (that is 12.27 per nine innings), allowed only 15 hits and just eight earned runs. And five of those earned runs against came in only one start. Given his age and with the way teams today are extremely protective of their pitchers, he is probably going to see his pitch counts and innings closely monitored this season. When he is on the mound, though, he is quickly becoming appointment viewing.
Bobby Wagner has been one of the best at his craft almost from the moment he got into the league. The Washington Commanders linebacker shows no signs of slowing down, but he's also seeing something different in a young upstart teammate that could be a massive help to Joe Whitt Jr.'s defense in 2025. Wagner deservedly got another one-year deal from the Commanders this offseason. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer earned second-team All-Pro honors, and he was an inspirational catalyst behind Washington's incredible locker room culture shift. This is also his 14th season, and the cerebral second-level enforcer is not going to be around forever. The next generation must step up. That's the only way Washington's fleeting success is going to last long-term. And Wagner seems suitably impressed by the strides made by Jordan Magee entering Year 2 of his professional career. Bobby Wagner believes comfort is helping Jordan Magee in Year 2 with Commanders Wagner singled out Magee for special praise after the first training camp practice. He highlighted the added experience that's serving him well. He also noted the improved preparation and scheme familiarity as reasons why excitement continues to build. He [Jordan Magee] is a guy that everyone is watching. Seeing his growth, understanding the defense. I think the biggest step for a younger guy, when you first come into the league, you don't know what to expect. You don't know the plays, you don't know how the league is, things of that nature. Then you get a full season, and you come in and just get to focus on being the best linebacker, not everything else that comes with the game. So, I think that's been the biggest thing, watching him prepare, watching him really get comfortable and confident within the defense, so I'm excited to see where he's going to take it.Bobby Wagner Magee took off last offseason before a disappointing knee injury dented his chances of rookie involvement. He came back midway through the campaign but was utilized on special teams, for the most part. But make no mistake, the player and the coaching staff have much greater ambitions this time around. Whitt has already declared his willingness to implement more three-linebacker sets next season when the situation dictates. The third spot is Magee's to lose, and the progress being made isn't going unnoticed. The former Temple star has off-the-charts athleticism, which is always a solid foundation from which to build. Magee is violent at the contact point with the physical profile to match anyone. Once the technical refinements arrive, and he gets more in-game knowledge from a starting capacity, the Commanders will have a tremendous player on their hands. Learning from someone with Wagner's credentials doesn't exactly hurt either. And the veteran will be pushing Magee every step of the way for as long as he's around. That's a guarantee. More Commanders news and analysis
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