The New York Giants will enter the offseason with the primary goal of finding their next quarterback. They’ve left open the door to all possible options, including the potential trade for a veteran.
General manager Joe Schoen may even end up adding multiple quarterbacks — one through trade or via free agency, and the other in the 2025 NFL draft.
There is a problem with the latter option, however. While the Giants hold the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft, there is a growing sentiment that none of the available quarterback class warrants a top-5 selection.
That is a conundrum addressed by Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema in his latest mock draft, which has the Giants selecting Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
3. NEW YORK GIANTS: QB SHEDEUR SANDERS, COLORADO
Truth be told, I am not at all convinced a quarterback will be drafted in the top five this year. But until free agency proves otherwise, the Giants are so desperate for a quarterback that it would feel disingenuous not to award them one here. Sanders recorded an 83.0 PFF passing grade in all four college seasons he played in. Over the past two years, he was excellent at post-snap reads and taking care of the football. Sanders doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he plays a clean brand of quarterback — which some teams will gravitate toward.
Even more than Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who Sikkema has going No. 1 overall, Sanders has reportedly seen his stock drop in the eyes of several NFL scouts.
A recent ESPN poll of scouts and executives paints a very ugly picture.
Sanders isn’t a plus athlete in the minds of scouts, as he is more of a dropback quarterback who isn’t a good enough athlete for called running plays.
“This is one of the weakest classes,” a veteran scout said. “There’s not a lot of depth to it, and there’s not a lot of high-talent players either.”
Even if Sanders had dominating arm strength, he hardly seems like a match for the Giants, who need quarterbacks capable of escaping the pressure and taking off down the field. Their offensive line isn’t strong enough to sustain pocket passing.
It’s ironic that the regime of Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are now essentially in a position to pick their own rookie quarterback and there just aren’t any worth taking at No. 3 overall.
