Mellott also played multiple spots at Montana State
The Las Vegas Raiders picked not one but two quarterbacks late in the 2025 NFL Draft, though one of them, Montana State’s Tommy Mellott, was quickly converted to wide receiver. It turns out Mellott just might play both positions, plus more, with the Raiders expecting to deploy the rookie as a sort of Swiss Army knife.
“I wouldn’t pigeonhole him right now,” Raiders college scouting director Brandon Yeargan said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I would say we view him as a receiver that’s going to have a lot of value in the kicking game, potentially as a returner, as a cover player, maybe play some quarterback, too. We’re looking [at him] really as an athlete … [because] he’s a unique guy.”
Yeargan’s remarks come after a pre-draft process in which Mellott was frequently compared to longtime New England Patriots wideout Julian Edelman, who starred alongside current Raiders minority owner Tom Brady not only as a pass catcher but an occasional cornerback and return specialist after playing quarterback in college. Mellott, meanwhile, began his college career at wide receiver before converting to quarterback.
“My entire career in college, to be honest with you, has kind of been [as] a do-it-all individual,” Mellott said, via the Review-Journal. “[So] that’s what I’m going to be about when I get down to Las Vegas, is just a do-it-all kind of guy who’s going to obviously perfect his craft, [do] whatever is expected of me … and more.”
Mellott was a sixth-round pick by the Raiders in April, two picks before the team also drafted North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller. The latter is expected to compete as a traditional passer behind veterans Geno Smith and Aidan O’Connell.
