One of the most fascinating parts of the upcoming NFL draft is figuring out where Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders will be drafted. Will he go in the top 10? The New Orleans Saints certainly appear to have a need now, with QB Derek Carr apparently suffering some sort of shoulder injury that could cost him all of 2025. But he may not even make it that far if the New York Giants reach a consensus.
The Giants have certainly done some checking in on Sanders throughout the draft process. They reportedly are heading to Boulder, Colorado on Thursday for a private workout with Sanders. That’s pretty late in the process, and it’s a serious step. The Giants hold the third overall pick. It could certainly shake up the rest of the first round if they target Sanders. So, they certainly want to do their homework as best as possible.
And that could be due, in part, to some internal dissension. Adam Schefter joined NFL Live on Tuesday and shed some light on what’s happening inside the Giants’ headquarters.
“They’ve been on the Boulder campus, he’s been in New York, they’re going back out to the Pro Day, they’re going out to Boulder for another private workout,” said Schefter. “At some point, I would think that they know everything there possibly is to know about Shedeur Sanders. And I think there are people who believe that Shedeur Sanders has real support in certain segments of the Giants building but not as much in others. And that may explain some of what’s going on right now; that there are people that are willing to go with Shadeur at this point in time, others not as comfortable.”
There are certainly questions about Shedeur Sanders as an NFL prospect. He played behind a bad offensive line at Colorado, and some people will say he made it worse by holding the ball too long. Longtime college offensive coordinator David Yost thinks Sanders does a good job covering up some of the issues, better than some other college quarterbacks.
When drafting a quarterback in the first round, the entire decision-making group has to be on the same page. Quarterback is the most critical position in football, perhaps in all of sports. An NFL team needs to be confident and willing to support that quarterback.
It’s the ultimate paradox: If you don’t draft a quarterback high, you likely aren’t going to find a franchise quarterback. But if you screw up a high pick on a quarterback, you’re setting yourself up for even bigger problems.
That’s why the Giants are flying out to Boulder, Colorado. They’re trying to get everyone on the same page, whether that’s drafting Shedeur Sanders or not. And chances are, the Pittsburgh Steelers are keeping a very close eye on this situation. They’ve brought Sanders in for an official pre-draft visit, and head coach Mike Tomlin is reportedly a fan of his. If the Steelers are seriously wanting Sanders, they’ll be waiting with bated breath on draft night when the Giants are on the clock.
