2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: South Carolina RB Raheim Sanders

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on South Carolina RB Raheim Sanders.

NO.5 RAHEIM SANDERS, RB, SOUTH CAROLINA (SENIOR)– 6000, 224 POUNDS

SHRINE BOWL INVITE 

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Has feature back size for the position
— Runs with decent strength and power behind his pads
— Can break through arm tackles and fight for extra yardage
— Possesses good acceleration and burst when he gets into the open field
— Likes to use his speed and burst to get the corner around the edge of the defense
—  Can identify a cutback lane and exploit it to get into open space
— Does a good job following his blocks to get to the second level
— Capable one-cut runner who can put his foot into the ground and go
— Has experience splitting out wide as a receiver
— Capable receiving back out of the backfield as well as when split out wide
— Willing to step into pass protection

THE BAD

— Lacks initial speed from the snap and needs a runway to get going
— Better going north/south than east/west as a runner
— Isn’t extremely elusive in the backfield
— Runs fairly tight, with less fluidity in his movements
— Occasionally, can be loose holding the football
— Needs to do better about stepping into pass protection rather than diving at defenders’ legs

BIO

— Senior prospect from Rockledge, FL
— Born June 8, 2002 (age 22)
— Services management major
— Received the nickname “Rocket” thanks to his speed on the field and his youth team being called the Rockets
— Was a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball, and track in high school
—  Played running back, wide receiver, and linebacker in high school
— Four-star recruit according to Rivals
— Committed to Arkansas out of high school
— Played in all 13 games in 2021 and had 578 yards on 114 carries with five touchdowns, along with 11 receptions for 109 yards and a score.
— Played in 13 games (all starts) in 2022 and carried the ball 222 times for 1,443 yards (6.5 YPC) and 10 touchdowns, along with 28 receptions for 271 yards and two scores
— Played in only six games in 2023 due to a labrum injury he would have season-ending surgery on, logging 62 carries for 209 yards and two touchdowns, along with 10 receptions for 75 yards
— Transferred to South Carolina ahead of his senior year
— Played in 12 games with 11 starts in 2024 and logged 183 carries for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns, along with 27 receptions for 316 yards and two scores
— Suffered an ankle injury at the beginning of the 2024 season that he played through
— First-Team All-SEC (2022), Second-team All-SEC (2024), Team Captain (2024), 2024 College Football Comeback Player of the Year, 2024 First-Team Academic All-America, 3x SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll (2021, 2022, 2024)

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Raheim Sanders was nicknamed “Rocket” at seven years old because he looked like a rocket shot into outer space as he took off for a long touchdown run untouched. That nickname holds true today as Sanders is a big, physical back who possesses the home run speed to take it the distance should he get into open space.

Watch the clip below against LSU as Sanders takes the handoff and takes the carry off-tackle. He has a clear runway into the second level as he hits the jets and pulls away from the rest of the defense for the long touchdown run.

Sanders likes to use his speed to try and get to the edge and around the corner of the defense, using the sideline as a runway to the first down marker and beyond. Watch these reps below of Sanders taking the carry and bouncing it to the outside against Texas A&M, using his speed to get to the corner and turn upfield for the first down on both carries.

Sanders is a big back with the size to shoulder a workload and fight through would-be tacklers when the end zone or first down marker is within his reach. Check out the play below against Missouri where Sanders catches the tunnel screen pass and breaks through two tackle attempts before meeting two defenders at the goal line, powering through to reach the end zone for the go-ahead score with seconds remaining.

Sanders operates best as a runner when he has a runway or when he has to make one cut to get into open space. Watch this clip below against the Aggies where Sanders approaches the line of scrimmage, then bounces the carry to his left, making one cut while following his blocker into the second level of the defense to turn a potentially busted play into nearly a first down carry.

However, Sanders isn’t the best at moving laterally as he is a bit tight and rigid as a runner, lacking mobility and the initial quickness from the snap of the ball to evade defenders in the backfield. Watch the clip below where Sanders runs into the back of his offensive lineman, then runs backward before attempting to get to the corner as the Tigers’ defense keeps him from reaching the line to gain. Again, this isn’t all Sanders’ fault, but you see that lack of quickness and desire to bounce runs to the outside.

Sanders is a capable pass catcher out of the backfield, having amassed 76 receptions in college. He can also be a load to bring down in open space after he catches the ball, as you can see in the clip below, catching the screen pass and turning upfield. However, Sanders has the ball knocked out of his hands, losing possession as the defense falls on the fumble to secure the turnover on the potential explosive play for the offense.

Regarding pass protection, Sanders has the relative size you look for to stand in and block against blitzers, and he can use that size to his advantage. However, Sanders needs to be more disciplined in his blocking mechanics as he will occasionally look to cut down opposing blitzers, as in the clip below, missing his man, who ends up putting pressure on the quarterback.

CONCLUSION

Raheim Sanders is a big, explosive back many teams would have circled from a measurables standpoint. He broke out as a sophomore at Arkansas, compiling over 1,700 yards of total offense, showcasing his speed and burst in his big frame. A shoulder injury in 2023 brought him back to Earth, and an ankle injury in 2024 appeared to slow him down at times, making many question whether Sanders can be more of a complete back instead of just a home run hitter who needs a runway to get going.

When coming up with a pro comp for Sanders, C.J. Prosise came to mind as another back out of Notre Dame with an appealing size/speed combination, standing 6002, 220 pounds while running a 4.48 40. He had great burst and size, but a lack of lateral quickness and injuries kept him from developing into a quality NFL back, fizzling out after a few years in the league.

I expect Sanders to go somewhere early on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft should his medicals check out to a team looking for a big back with a burst to rip off long runs and contribute in the passing game. He has a lot of traits that the Pittsburgh Steelers look for in their backs. Still, he needs to prove that his recent injury issues are behind him and showcase more shiftiness as a runner to be more than a committee back at the next level, which is likely his best fit with another shiftier back.

Projection: Early Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.4 – Rotational Player (4th Round)
Games Watched: vs Texas A&M (2024), vs Missouri (2024), vs LSU (2024)