Currently without one franchise quarterback, the New York Giants could soon have two.
NFL Draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN and NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah released their latest mock drafts Tuesday, and both agree that the Giants will select Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the No. 3 overall pick.
Kiper, however, goes a step further in his projections, saying that the team will draft Sanders even if it signs future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers in free agency. The Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly his top two options as he continues to mull over his decision.
On ESPN Kiper was asked if the presence of Rodgers would prohibit the Giants' picking of Shedeur.
"No, not at all," Kiper said. "Remember, Patrick Mahomes was essentially red-shirted his first year in Kansas City. The Giants will be fine if Shedeur comes in to their quarterback of the present. But if they sign Rodgers and Shedeur waits two or three years to be their quarterback of the future, even better."
To see if New York has a spotlight big enough for the egos and attention-craving drama of Rodgers and Sanders would be fascinating, to say the least. Kiper acknowledged that some teams were turned off by Sanders' "arrogance" at the Scouting Combine, and have him as low as a third-round grade.
"He's sort of all over the map, but I heard the same sort of difference of opinions about Peyton Manning," Kiper said. "Shedeur had high percentage, low interceptions and he played behind a horrible offensive line at Colorado. He's built for the bright lights of New York."
Like Eli Manning growing up in a family of football quarterbacks, Shedeur has the pedigree to absorb the attention and scrutiny as the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
With the draft five weeks away, Kiper and Jeremiah have a consensus at the top of their mocks with Miami quarterback Cam Ward going to the Tennessee Titans and Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter No. 2 to the Cleveland Browns.
