For an article published on Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter repeated a previous claim and said that “there still might not be consensus within the” New York Giants’ building about whether to draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as high as the third overall pick of the upcoming player-selection process.
“There is a belief around the league that certain segments of the Giants organization want Sanders more than others,” Schefter continued. “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.”
Later in the day, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated offered more information about why the Giants may pass on Sanders Thursday night.
“I’ve heard they’ve had ups and downs with Sanders through a process that encompassed the Giants assessing all the top 2025 quarterbacks, and even getting an early look at some of the guys who figure to go early in ’26,” Breer explained. “They had him in for a 30 visit in East Rutherford, and had dinners with him in Colorado before his pro day and his private workout last week.”
The Giants signing veteran signal-callers Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency could allow the club to target an project quarterback during the draft who could sit for his entire rookie season, such as Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart or Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. Maybe Giants head coach Brian Daboll wants to work with an NFL-ready prospect such as Louisville’s Tyler Shough, or perhaps Daboll could be worried that he could lose his job to Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father, if the Giants endure a third-straight losing season.
As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter as the betting favorite at -650 odds to be the draft’s third pick. There was no sign at that time that the Giants were looking to trade choice No. 3 and move down the draft order.
“My guess,” Breer added about the Giants’ possible interest in Shedeur Sanders, “and I’m not 100% on this, would be that they won’t take him with the third pick even though they liked him as they evaluated him in the fall. Maybe they get another shot at him at [pick No. 34] or trade back into the first round for him. Maybe they like Jaxson Dart or Tyler Shough, both of whom they worked out and met with a bunch of times.”
For what it’s worth, Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com still thinks the Giants could grab Sanders with the draft’s third pick because their “biggest issue is their glaring need for a long-term franchise quarterback solution.” To compare, Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan are among those who think the Giants will select Carter at No. 3 and then look to grab a quarterback (Milroe) with the 34th overall pick.
