The New York Giants are in desperate need of a quarterback, and if media speculation is true, they have their hearts set on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
General manager Joe Schoen has spent considerable time around the program, and he's expressed pleasantries with head coach Brian Daboll. He's a strong fit for the offense and offers more upside than Daniel Jones without the turnover-prone tendencies that held New York's last first-round passer back.
However, the NFL Draft cycle is far too long for the good of our collective sanity, and fans and analysts alike find ways to talk themselves in and out of prospects with talking points of varying validity. As stocks fluctuate, the narratives around any prospect – especially high-profile quarterbacks – get awfully silly.
Sanders, a Giants draft target, was blasted for the ridiculous reason of having non-football interests.
Shocking. Horrible. Irredeemable. Sanders manages to enjoy the little time he isn't spending on football.
Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason took to the airwaves to share his concerns with Sanders off the field.
"The reason I say he's out is because I don't want my guy leading my team worrying about a rap career or any outside career... I want my quarterback to be the leader of the team. I want him solely focused on football and nothing else," Esiason said this week.
It's hard to describe the analysis and anything other than lazy and outdated. There's no indication that Sanders' music "career" is getting prioritized over his football responsibilities. He's not falling behind on the playbook because he's writing new lyrics or missing out on extra reps in favor of studio time.
Sanders is allowed to do what he likes when he's not on the clock. He has no obligation to any team right now, and has clearly done more than enough to be considered a top-five pick.
It also, clearly, hasn't impacted New York in any meaningful capacity. Schoen, Daboll, and assistant general manager Brandon Brown were happy to meet with him at the East-West Shrine Bowl. It feels like an open secret that the Giants would love to take him at No. 3, and even if they pass on him, it's hard to imagine him falling out of the top 10.
Sanders isn't physically talented enough to earn teams' trust while being a headcase. No team is seriously docking Sanders for his hobbies, nor should they. Sanders might turn into a functional starter, he could flame out entirely or transcend into New York's next superstar. Whatever the case, it won't be a result of his music career.
