NFL rumors: Browns, Raiders urged to trade down, with a Shedeur Sanders catch
03/24/2025 09:19 AM
The 2025 NFL draft is quickly approaching, and two teams that desperately need to bring a good draft class to town are the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders. According to one NFL expert, the Browns and Raiders should both trade down from their first-round picks, unless they are intending on drafting Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Cleveland’s roster is devoid of talent, largely because of the massive contract they handed Deshaun Watson after picking him up in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans. That move has burned them, and at some point, they need to find their quarterback of the future. With Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward expected to be selected at the No. 1 pick by the Tennessee Titans, the Browns were urged to trade down, unless they wanted to draft Sanders.
“If the Browns aren’t targeting Sanders, they need to add more picks, especially in the top 100 selections. They have the most draft capital of any team by Chase Stuart’s model heading into April, but I’d argue they could use even more. Spreading some of that capital across additional picks would be a wise move given how they need to recover from the Watson deal,” Bill Barnwell of ESPN wrote.
Las Vegas finds themselves in a similar spot, as they have failed to properly replace Derek Carr after letting him leave for the New Orleans Saints in free agency back in 2023. While it may be tougher for them to land Sanders at the No. 6 overall pick, he could conceivably fall to them, but unless the team is targeting him, they could stand to benefit from trading down as well.
“Unless they are in love with Shedeur Sanders and are in position to take him at No. 6, moving down and attempting to build through young players is the way to go. Carroll’s early days in Seattle — where the Seahawks benefited from having extra picks in each of his first three drafts — are an example of how Las Vegas should be approaching its long-term vision with smart short-term decisions,” Barnwell explained.
Should Browns, Raiders target Shedeur Sanders?
The good news for both the Browns and Raiders is that they have options on the table. Cleveland in particular is in a good spot, as they will have the option to add Sanders if they want to. If they aren’t sold on him, though, they should be able to easily find a team willing to move up to the No. 2 pick, where top players like Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter could be available.
Things are a bit more tricky for Las Vegas, as they will be at the liberty of how the board falls ahead of them. However, if Sanders slides, there could be teams behind them willing to make a move up for him, and if the Raiders don’t want him after trading for Geno Smith, they could accrue some more draft capital in the process. Every avenue is worth exploring, but trading down for these two squads could be their best path forward.
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