Shedeur Sanders has been cryptically showing interest in becoming a Las Vegas Raider. It turns out even Travis Hunter shares the same wish.
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The Colorado Buffaloes teammates have been mock-drafted as two of the top three picks in the 2025 NFL draft. And the Raiders are expected to have one of those picks, if not, trade up. But who should they choose?
When Hunter was in Las Vegas accepting the Lott Impact award for his stellar performance this past season, he was posed with the same question.
“They definitely should take me,” the two-way star said in response, flashing a sheepish grin.
It would be surprising to see Hunter get selected as the first overall, even ahead of the #1 favorite, Cam Ward. And his quick response showcased Hunter’s personality — confident but not cocky. After all, he’s always had the highlights to back it up.
That said, he did promptly backtrack from his original pick.
“But I got a strong feeling they’re going to take a quarterback, so I’m not going to be mad. As long as it’s me or Shedeur, I’m good with it,” Hunter added.
Colorado’s Travis Hunter who just won the Lott Impact award in Vegas on should the Raiders take him or Shedeur Sanders?
“ they should take me, but I’m pretty sure they will take a quarterback as long as it’s me or Shedeur, I’m good with it.” #RaiderNation @TravisHunterJr pic.twitter.com/RTUBNO4WgP
— Chris Maathuis (@sports8) December 10, 2024
For Hunter, it feels like it would be between him and Sanders. He doesn’t even think Ward should be in the conversation. But the quarterback out of Miami is a serious presence too. He just passed for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in his senior season — both of which top Shedeur’s totals. And Ward did it in a debatably tougher conference.
What Ward doesn’t have, though, is the star power and attraction of Shedeur and Hunter. They are flashier names who play for the most popular head coach in college football. They also make highlight-reel plays on a regular basis and fill arenas with fans because of it.
That’s something the Raiders desperately need. Las Vegas is on the verge of finishing 31st out of 32 teams, playing mostly to average home attendance this year. While Allegiant Stadium may be a spectacle to look at, the Raiders have struggled to fill the seats since it opened in 2023. Last season, they finished in the same spot.
Drafting Shedeur or Hunter would go a long way toward correcting the attendance issue. When the two were playing, the Buffaloes’ stadium, Folsom Field, sold out regularly. Even in a losing season at home last year, they broke the school record for average attendance at just over 53k per game. It just goes to show how big a draw Shedeur and Hunter are.
It’s great to see Hunter’s unwavering confidence for himself and his teammate. But it’s clear he is also fully supportive of the decision should the Raiders decide to draft Sanders, and not him. Either way, it’s going to be hard for Las Vegas to get it wrong come draft season if they get the #1 pick.
