Diving into what to look for from the team’s options with the sixth pick this week
With the NFL Combine this week, the Las Vegas Raiders will get some answers on the 2025 NFL Draft Class. The Raiders have several options with the No. 6 overall pick, including making a run at quarterbacks Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders in addition to best player available options like defensive tackle Mason Graham and wide receiver Tetairora McMillan.
So, what is at least one question each of the top prospects tied to the Silver and Black can answer during the Combine this week?
QB Cam Ward, Miami
Q: How big is he?
Ward is reportedly undecided on whether he’ll participate in any of the on-field drills in Indianapolis and may not need to as he seems destined to be a Top 5 pick in the draft. But his measurements will be worth keeping an eye on. The former Hurricane is listed at 6-foot-2, which is on the shorter side for an NFL quarterback, so it will be worth noting whether the listing is a legitimate or rounded-up 6-foot-2. With that comes the hand size question as well, where Ward is ultimately just looking at checking boxes at this point.
QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Q: How do teams view his character?
It was announced over the weekend that Sanders won’t be throwing at the combine and will be focusing on showing teams who he is as a person during interviews instead. Like Ward, Sanders has plenty of good tape to lean on, so this week it will be interesting to see if any reports surface about how teams view his personality. As to be expected from Primetime’s son, Sanders certainly doesn’t lack any confidence and can rub people the wrong way with some of his antics. So, it will be interesting to hear if the league puts any weight into that.
DT Mason Graham, Michigan
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Q: Where does he fall on the size chart?
On the field, Graham is a legitimate talent who was one of the most disruptive defensive players in college football over the last two years. But he might be a bit of a size outlier, making it noteworthy which percentiles his height and arm length fall into, especially the latter.
CB Will Johnson, Michigan
Q: How fast and explosive is he?
This is the perfect event for Johnson to earse some recent narratives. While missing about half of the season this past fall also plays a big factor, Johnson’s draft stock has seemingly stalled as questions quickness and long-speed have come up. The combine is tailor-made to address those concerns, assuming he participates in the on-field drills. A good 40-time and times in the change of direction drills can help the Michigan product regain some momentum in draft talks.
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Q: What are his change of direction numbers?
Arguably the biggest question surrounding McMillan heading into the draft is if he’s a good enough separator to be a top-teir receiver in the NFL. So, it will be interesting to see how he stacks up to the rest of the class in the 3-cone drill and pro-agility shuttle as he can lack some explosion at the top of routes to separate from corners consistently.
OL Will Campbell, LSU
Q: How short are his arms?
Campbell is a pretty clean prospect who is widely considered the best offensive lineman in the class. However, his best position at the next level is up for debate. Some view the LSU product as a guard, primarily to due to his lack of arm length. That makes his measurements worth keeping tabs on this week.
RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Q: How small is he?
Jeanty reportedly will also be sitting out of the on-field drills this week, leaving his size as the biggest question to answer in Indy. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 216 pounds at Boise State, it will be interesting to see how those measurements stack up with his numbers at the combine. If the roster size is correct, he has below-average height and weight for a NFL running back, according to MockDraftable.