Sanders Pro Day: Performance Locks Draft Stock

Shedeur Sanders helped his draft stock at Colorado’s Pro Day, completing 62 of 67 passes reinforcing the precision that defined his FBS-leading 74.2% completion rate in 2024, paired with 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. His footwork was tight, his release quick, and his command decisive, echoing a pro-ready quarterback. The final one-minute drill, a clutch simulation, eased doubts about his pocket presence, often questioned due to Colorado’s weak line.

For the Las Vegas Raiders, who watched closely, Sanders’ performance poses a tantalizing question, but one tempered by their recent moves. The Raiders traded for Geno Smith on March 13, 2025, sending a third-round pick to Seattle. Yesterday, April 3, they doubled down, signing Smith to a two-year, $85.5 million extension with $66.5 million guaranteed, locking him in through 2027. Coach Pete Carroll, reuniting with his former Seahawks protégé, and GM John Spytek see Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler with a 70.4% completion rate in 2024, as their bridge to stability. With Smith’s $31 million 2025 cap hit now smoothed out via the extension, the Raiders have a proven QB1.

So, where does Sanders fit? Before Pro Day, his stock was up and down, top-three buzz clashed with mid-first-round skepticism over attitude and sack totals. Now, after a 92.5% completion showcase before all 32 teams, he’s likely a top-10 lock, maybe top-five. The Raiders, picking sixth in the April 24-26 draft in Green Bay, could still target him, but Smith’s deal shifts their focus. At 34, Smith offers a few years of competence, 4,320 yards in 2024 prove it, allowing Las Vegas to build around him rather than reach for a rookie.

Sanders’ Pro Day cements his elite status, but the Raiders’ commitment to Smith suggests they’re out of the QB sweepstakes early. If they pivot, Sanders could be a long-term heir, learning behind Smith. More likely, though, they’ll let him shine elsewhere, perhaps with the Giants or Browns, while Smith steers Carroll’s reboot. Sanders is rising; the Raiders are set, for now.