New York Giants Mock Draft Roundup 3.0

Sanders might not be the biggest, strongest or fastest passer, but he throws with anticipation from the pocket and can test defenses with his feet when facing man coverage. The Giants have lacked a true leader at the quarterback position for years; Sanders works to make his teammates better and knows what it means to play under the spotlight.

The QB carousel continues to spin and the Giants still don't have a seat. The longer that's the case, the more likely it is they address it here. It's also possible the Giants could go with a veteran bridge option and still take Sanders, though that's a scenario that could be a nightmare with the local media.

Even if the Giants end up signing one of the remaining free-agent quarterbacks, they could still be looking at a longer-term plan in the draft, akin to something they did over 20 years ago with drafting (technically trading for) Eli Manning and signing Kurt Warner in the same offseason. Sanders has a good arm and is a tough operator from the pocket. And while I might not have him rated this highly, quarterback desperation is real and the Giants could see enough in Sanders' game to build into a solid starter.

Unable to work out a trade with the Titans for the first pick, the Giants pivot to Plan ... who can even keep track of how deep they are into their plan at quarterback this offseason? The Giants have Tommy DeVito as the only quarterback on the roster. That underscores the desperation of the situation, even though they'll surely add a veteran starter before the draft. Still, general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll need to sell a future at QB to ownership as they're on the hot seat entering their fourth season. There are plenty of skeptics about Sanders' potential to be the type of franchise-altering addition Jayden Daniels was last year for the Commanders. But this regime needs to take a swing at QB, so it takes a big one on Sanders. — Dan Duggan

I'll be curious to see what the Giants do here. If Abdul Carter is available at No. 3, that might change things, but in this scenario, they secure their answer at quarterback.

With Tommy DeVito as the only quarterback currently on the roster, it isn't a matter of if the Giants make a move at this point, but when and for whom. Adding a veteran like Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson could serve as the proverbial Band-Aid, but this club needs a long-term solution. Ward has more boom-and-bust traits than most quarterbacks in position to be the first pick of an NFL Draft, but he offers an exciting upside. He leaves college football as the all-time passing touchdowns champion (158) and his steady improvement as a passer is undeniable. He'd add an immediate buzz to a franchise needing it.

Whoever is eventually the starter for the Giants in 2025 will need to be better protected than past quarterbacks in the Brian Daboll era. Membou is a powerful blocker with elite testing numbers.

The Sanders-Giants relationship is strong. The Giants flew out to Colorado several times dating back to the fall to scout Sanders and get to know him at a deeper level. I really like Sanders' game. I know he has taken some arrows in this process. It's a tale as old as time that we get a polarizing player because people don't like a certain element about them. In this case, it's the name on his back. His dad happens to be Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, who's arguably the greatest showman in the history of sports. I think it's so lazy for people to attack the younger Sanders' character. In terms of his play, he can be surgical when he's protected and a magician when he's not. Few quarterbacks are like that. He also turned a terrible Colorado program from a one-win team to a nine-win squad in two years, and I think he was the biggest reason for that.

Even if the Giants land Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, they need to think about the future under center. Rodgers is 41. Wilson is 36. Neither would be the long-term fix. That's why I still think the Giants could draft Sanders at No. 3. And signing one of those veterans -- two guys who have won Super Bowls -- then double-dipping at the position with Sanders would only help the rookie learn and develop. There would be no pressure to start Sanders right away or be the guy in Week 1.

In Sanders, New York would get a super accurate passer (74.0% completion rate in 2024) who is tough as nails. Despite taking the most sacks in the FBS over the past two seasons (94), he also tied for second in touchdown passes (64) during that time frame. Sanders could provide some QB stability to New York for the first time since Eli Manning was taking the snaps.

The team that hawked Shedeur Sanders the hardest at the Shrine Bowl gets their potential franchise quarterback. Even if they sign a veteran quarterback, getting a rookie in the fold is still a priority.

New York may end up being the Russell Wilson destination. It feels like Aaron Rodgers is heading to Pittsburgh, which would leave Wilson in line to go play for the Giants.

All that should do is alleviate the pressure for New York to jump up to No. 1 overall. This team should stand pat and, if a quarterback they like is on the board, secure a long-term answer, too. All indications seem to suggest they do indeed like Sanders.