The New York Giants need a quarterback, and to no one’s surprise, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the most popular player selected for the Giants in the first round in mock drafts run on Pro Football’s mock draft simulator.
“Sanders may be below average in stature and arm talent compared to NFL quarterbacks,” PFF notes of the prospect, “but he plays the game cleanly, takes care of the football, and is tough as nails with ice in his veins under pressure.”
Sanders improved his PFF passing grade from 83.7 to 90.9 between his sophomore and senior seasons. He finished his final collegiate season with career-highs in passing yards (4133), yards per attempt (8.6), passing touchdowns (37) and passer rating (116).
Where the Colorado standout thrived as a senior was as an intermediate and downfield thrower. Sanders had the fourth-most deep pass yards in FBS (1,184) and graded highly as a downfield thrower (92.8) while thriving as one of the country's best intermediate passers (94.8 PFF grade).
New York needs to address an obvious void at the quarterback position. Tommy DeVito is the only signal caller on the roster set to return in 2025, and he isn't the long-term answer.
For the team to succeed long-term, the Giants must invest in a franchise quarterback. That signal caller will likely need to be a player with long-term upside and a rookie contract cheap enough to complete the rest of the roster.
Sanders provides that avenue for the team, which holds the third overall draft pick. Sure, there's been constant draft chatter about how, while Sanders is the most "pro-ready" quarterback prospect, his limited ceiling wouldn't have made him a first-round selection in the 2024 draft had he come out last year.
However, such draft chatter means nothing about what the Giants genuinely need and what they should look for. The organization hasn't had a high-floor signal caller since Eli Manning led them to six postseason berths and two Super Bowl titles.
Sanders provides that level of upside if he walks into the door and commands the Giants' offense. He makes up for what he doesn't have in arm strength with accuracy, timing, precision, and true toughness. He's a student of the game, a relentless competitor, and a guy willing to build rapport to maximize the most out of his offensive teammates.
There are some questions about how Sanders sometimes bails too early from the pocket and retreats backward against heavy pressure. Some have also questioned how well he might function outside of a system that might vary from what his father, Deion,
His ability to thrive in pressure cooker situations and the constant growth within his game yearly can't be questioned. Sanders might not develop into the long-term generational talent that scouts drool over, but he does have Jalen Hurts-level poise and ability to produce a Super Bowl winner.
