There’s a growing sense the New York Giants already know who they want to be their next quarterback, a 2025 NFL draft prospect compared to veteran Geno Smith, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
A report from ESPN’s Jordan Raanan ahead of the annual Scouting Combine revealed that “Multiple league insiders are convinced the Giants have their sights on Sanders, but that would not necessarily keep the team from targeting a more experienced option at the position. The Giants had Super Bowl-winning quarterback Kurt Warner as their starter when they drafted Eli Manning with the No. 1 pick.”
Raanan was quick to point out this is “just a perception that exists. There is a long ways to go in the process. At this point, the Giants haven’t even sat down and had the hard discussions yet on the quarterbacks or any position.”
Yet despite this note of caution, Sanders is a popular name among some draft prognosticators for the Giants with the third-overall pick. The Giants need a quarterback in the worst way, and Sanders is one of the top signal-callers in this class.
He’s also a divisive prospect in the pre-draft process. Some see Smith as easily worth a top-three pick, while others view the 23-year-old as more likely to go at the back end of the top 10 or even late in the first round.
The broad spectrum of opinions about Sanders echoes the feelings about Seattle Seahawks starter and former Giants backup Smith. Both before the 2013 draft and during his 11 seasons in the pros.
Geno Smith Comparisons Needn’t Scare the Giants
Sanders’ pro comparison to Smith was revealed by “NFL Matchup on ESPN” analyst Greg Cosell. Speaking on an episode of the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast,” Cosell revealed, “I’ve talked to some scouts, the name that often comes up as a comparison for him is Geno Smith. And Geno Smith is a little bit bigger with a better overall arm.”
That doesn’t sound like the strongest endorsement for why the Giants should use a top-three pick to take Sanders. The comparisons between he and Smith often read like backhanded compliments to both players.
As Cosell put it, “overall, I think you’re talking about a shorter quarterback who’s a pocket player. So to me, he’s a ball distributor and an executor of an offense. He needs the system to work for him. He needs a run game. He needs a good O-line. He’s a piece. He’s a piece of an offense.”
Being compared to a player who sounds destined to be adorned with the dreaded “game-manager” label might not please Smith. Here’s the thing, though. There’s nothing wrong with a game-manager and there’s nothing wrong with Smith.
The latter has put together a nice career since being taken 39th overall by the New York Jets. He threw for 3,046 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie, but Smith’s late-career revival truly showcased his talents.
Smith has thrown for over 4,000 yards twice in three years in Seattle. He’s also tossed 71 touchdown passes since 2022. Arm talent like Smith’s is not the worst comparison for Sanders, who threw 64 touchdowns across his two years with the Buffaloes, per Sports Reference.
Sanders might only be a competent pocket-based passer, but one of those would still be better for the Giants than the turnover factory of mistake-prone QBs they’ve suffered with in recent seasons. A calamitous carousel fronted by Daniel Jones, but with turns also taken by Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito.
The question remains, is mere competence enough to put Sanders in the conversation for the third-overall pick?
Shedeur Sanders Draft Slot a Problem for Giants
Sanders is a prospect who could solve the Giants ongoing malaise at quarterback, but he still might not be the best pick at No. 3. Cosell also revealed to Tucker he’s “spoken to people who think, in an ideal world, he’s a late 1st, early 2nd round type player.”
It’s possible the Giants agree with that assessment. At least based on concerns they already have about Sanders, per the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. He acknowledged, “There is no doubt the Giants are intrigued with Shedeur Sanders. They will explore the dynamic with his famous father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. There is a concern that Shedeur has been coached by his father since high school, and the Giants saw firsthand the video-centric, everything-gets-documented ecosystem created at Colorado and the spotlight that both father and son seem to crave. If, for instance, the Giants lose their first two games with Shedeur as the rookie starter, does Deion send missives from Boulder questioning the offensive line or a dropped pass or the play calling? This all has to be explored as deeply as possible.”
That’s a lot of uncertainty about a player who would be drafted with the expectation of becoming the face of the franchise. Forming a full judgement about Sanders won’t be easy when he won’t throw at the Combine, instead deciding “to focus on his interviews,” before throwing “at his Pro Day with four draftable CU WRs,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Perhaps the Giants opt instead to trade out of the third spot and let another team take on any risk involving Sanders. The ideal scenario would have the Giants see Sanders still sitting there early in Round 2.
They would snap him up in a heartbeat in this scenario, perhaps after taking his more athletic Colorado teammate in the opening round.
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