If the New England Patriots thought they were in the catbird seat for teams wanting to select Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft, they had better think again. At least based on the latest update about the quarterback and his workout schedule.
Former Colorado star Sanders is set to have a private workout with the New York Giants, owners of the third-overall pick, one slot ahead of the Patriots. The workout will take place in Boulder on Thursday, April 17, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, and it’s bad news for any Patriots trade chatter.
That’s according to Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub. He offered the following theory: “What if the Giants know they’re not taking him, but heard all the Patriots-Saints trade rumors around Pick 4 and want to see if they can get NOLA to make a deal with them instead.”
This is more than idle speculation. There are still quarterback-needy teams who will maintain interest in Sanders.
The Giants belong in that bracket, but the Patriots don’t. Not when Drake Maye represents their future at football’s most important position.
Maye’s presence means the Pats can be sellers if teams come QB hunting on draft day. The Giants keeping alive speculation they will take Sanders could wreck those plans.
Ironically, the ideal scenario for New England would be the Giants not bluffing and actually sending Sanders’ name to the podium. That would leave the Patriots to choose one of the best athletes in this class.
Patriots in Sweet Spot for Shedeur Sanders Trade
They are settled at quarterback and spent the offseason loading up on marquee veterans like wide receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive tackle Milton Williams and cornerback Carlton Davis. Those factors have left the Patriots in a sweet spot with the No. 4 pick.
The roster still needs help at core positions like offensive tackle, edge-rusher and running back, but this class is deep at all three positions. Deep enough for general manager Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel to find talent later in the opening round.
Moving back for extra draft capital and an O-lineman would be a smart play. The best way for the Patriots to gain those additional picks would be to fleece a team desperate for a passer.
A franchise in that position will pay a premium for quarterback help. Even in a class widely considered less than elite.
Another way for the Pats to add to their draft haul would be to step aside for a suitor looking to win the race for a marquee non-QB. Somebody like Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter or Sanders’ college teammate, cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter.
Yet, the Patriots getting to sit tight and still land either one of those prospects would be just as good, if not better, than a trade for more picks.
Patriots Should Hope Giants Are for Real
Ideally, the Giants will take Sanders and leave the Pats free to snag either Carter or Hunter, whoever doesn’t go second overall to the Cleveland Browns. It’s not an outlandish scenario, even after the Giants signed veteran signal-callers Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency.
Both are only stop-gaps, and the Giants have been without a star quarterback for too long. Pressure from impatient ownership, expressed by team president John Mara back in January, could force under-fire general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll to take Sanders.
That would still be a win for the Patriots. They will have missed out on the chance to get the kind of deal a team in pursuit of Sanders might have offered, but the Pats would acquire one of the few blue-chip prospects on the board and still have some trade power, depending on Carter or Hunter’s availability.
