Why the Giants Should NOT Draft Shedeur Sanders 3rd Overall

Shedeur Sanders is by far one of the most polarizing players to ever come out of college, and with the draft coming up on the 24th, talk has ramped up now more than ever. The Colorado QB has been both praised and scrutinized by media and public reception, yet he’s remained cool and collected—which, to me, is one of his best traits. Sanders grew up in the limelight as the son of legendary athlete Deion Sanders and has dealt with that pressure better than most would, I’d say. That said, many people question his on-field ability. With a lack of speed and a middling NFL arm, what could Shedeur’s career really be?

Many have linked Sanders to the New York Giants at No. 3 due to the now more than ever need for new life at the QB position for the G-Men. However, I, for one, am firmly against this decision for a multitude of reasons. To start, I simply do not feel that Sanders has the potential to be a Super Bowl–winning QB at the NFL level. As aforementioned, his arm strength is nothing special when compared to the rest of the NFL. He does throw a great deep ball, however—something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Yet when targeting the middle of the field at length, his lack of elite arm strength looms large on tape. While Sanders is certainly an accurate passer, playing at the NFL level requires more than just sheer precision. Being able to throw a receiver open with sheer anticipation is a necessity for a QB, and while Sanders does display this at times, the offense he was in under Pat Shurmur rarely relied on him to factor this into his throws.

Furthermore, his pocket awareness is a major concern for me—especially for someone you're considering at the third overall pick—particularly given his lack of elite speed. Sanders took 42 sacks this past season, which tied for the most in college football with projected number one pick Cam Ward. The issue for Sanders is that he consistently had a shaky-at-best O-line at Colorado, which made him bail on clean pockets and try to create. Unfortunately, Shedeur is not quite the athlete that his father was, and when he was asked to create, things often went from bad to worse.

With all this being said, I do think Sanders is a player worth taking a shot on in the middle to late sections of the first round. His accuracy, strong demeanor, and leadership are all traits you want in a franchise QB. However, I find the flaws to be detrimental to a player drafted in the premium selections of the first round—especially when there are blue-chip prospects on the board.

Which leads me to my next point: there are simply better prospects on the board, specifically Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. Hunter is a once-in-a-generation type of athlete who can play both corner and wide receiver. He played at Colorado with Shedeur and made a name for himself by bringing home this past year’s Heisman Trophy. A player who plays both sides at an elite level is something the NFL has never seen, and Hunter has the potential to be just that. To me, that’s a player you can’t pass up out of sheer need for a QB.

Carter is about as dynamic a pass rusher as I’ve seen over the past few years. I’d say his game is most comparable to fellow Penn State pass rusher Micah Parsons, who is now a perennial Pro Bowler. The athleticism at his size is just incredible, with elite bend and run-stopping ability.

Both of these two are elite prospects that, in my opinion, simply can’t be passed up. I believe that what New York truly needs is just good football players from top to bottom. While it would be great for a new QB to take the reins—especially someone with the aura of Shedeur Sanders—it must be remembered that mistakes are made when thinking out of disparity.