With the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants are at a critical fork in the road. The quarterback position is, once again, under the microscope—and understandably so. The franchise hasn’t selected one since Daniel Jones in 2019, and that experiment didn’t yield the franchise-changing results they’d hoped for.
But just because they haven’t taken a quarterback in six years doesn’t mean they should force it now.
The Shedeur Sanders Debate
If the Giants decide to go the quarterback route, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is realistically the only option available at No. 3. The interest is real. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, “no team has done more work on one player than the Giants have done on Sanders,” attending nearly every game he played last season and hosting him for multiple private workouts.
Still, Schefter reports there’s no organizational consensus:
“There is a belief around the league that certain segments of the Giants organization want Sanders more than others. Per sources, Sanders wants to be in a place where he has the full support of an organization, and there are questions about whether the Giants fit into that category.”
That internal division tells you everything you need to know about where the Giants stand—half-in, half-out, not entirely sold on a prospect who requires a full system and staff committed to his development.
Evaluating the Prospect
Statistically, Sanders checks a lot of boxes. In 2023, he posted a 73.4% completion rate, 4,133 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. His adjusted completion percentage was a staggering 81.8%. Those numbers suggest elite-level accuracy and command.
However, things get murky when you dig deeper. Against better competition, Sanders struggled. He has a tendency to drift in the pocket, his arm strength is considered average, and he lacks top-tier athleticism. These are not deal-breaking traits, but they do cap his ceiling. He’s not going to create chaos with his legs like Jalen Hurts or throw lasers like Josh Allen. His success would likely require a patient, play-action-heavy system with protection up front and weapons around him.
The Smarter Play: Don’t Force the QB
Joe Schoen and the Giants front office can’t afford to whiff on this pick. If they’re not completely convinced Sanders is the future, they should do the smart thing—take the best player available.
Whether it’s Penn State’s Abdul Carter or Colorado’s Travis Hunter, the top of this draft offers elite talent at other positions that can start Day 1 and immediately raise the floor of this roster. It also gives the Giants flexibility to target a quarterback later, or even in next year’s class, without handcuffing themselves to a gamble they weren’t sold on in the first place.
- The Yankees have a Gold Glove infield upgrade putting on a show
- The Yankees have a brand new ace and he’s on fire
- The Yankees are going to face a major problem at third base soon
If Sanders falls into the teens or 20s and the Giants still want him, that’s a different story. They’ll have more context, more time, and potentially a better opportunity to build around him. But passing on higher-graded talent at No. 3 for a player the room is split on? That’s how franchises stay stuck in mediocrity.
The interest in Sanders is real—but maybe that’s only because he was the only viable option on the board, and the Giants wanted to be absolutely sure before moving in another direction.