The New York Giants are one of the biggest winners of the 2025 NFL Draft due to the type of talent they brought into the league. After opting to use the third overall pick on arguably the best player in the entire draft, Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter, the Giants traded back into Round 1 to get their quarterback of the future. That signal caller was Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart.
The selection of Dart came as a surprise to some. Even though there was momentum leading into the draft that head coach Brian Daboll preferred Dart, fans pointed to the constant presence around Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders throughout the process. As we all know, Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round, with his slide meeting a merciful end at the 144th selection by the Cleveland Browns. During the event, NFL Draft expert Todd McShay relayed that Sanders' interview with the Giants and Daboll went poorly, with the quarterback allegedly being unprepared with an install package provided by the coach. Daboll, per McShay, called Sanders out, who didn't like it.
During a press conference with reporters following their third round selection of Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander, Daboll was asked about the interview with Sanders. Instead of touching on the meeting with Sanders, Daboll dodged giving specific details, and said that all of the players and quarterbacks who had top 30 visits were "good." Also, the quarterback meetings "were productive."
Brian Daboll was asked about a report that he and Shedeur Sanders had a meeting that did not go well:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) April 26, 2025
"We had good meetings with all the guys that came in here on 30 visits. Quarterback meetings were productive. We're happy with Jaxson (Dart)." pic.twitter.com/NyXpRXou57
Brian Daboll dodges going into specifics about reported bad meeting with Shedeur Sanders
Daboll wouldn't give any firm indication on whether the report was true or false. Giants general manager Joe Schoen shut down any further questions about Sanders, and instead wanted to focus on the selection of Alexander.
Much is the case every draft, some teams are heavily linked to a prospect at a certain position. While it may seem like a lock at first, there is a chance for teams to change their minds over time and pivot to another player. Since the end of the regular season, it felt as though Sanders was a lock to be the Giants' first-round pick. But with the additions of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, it allowed the team to have the flexibility to draft the best player available and pivot back to a quarterback later.
When it came time for the Giants to trade up for a quarterback, they were intent on drafting Dart, whom Daboll was reportedly high on during the pre-draft process, due in part to his similarities to his former quarterback with the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen.
Over time, we'll find out if the Giants made the right call in drafting Dart over Sanders. But when it comes to the report of a meeting turned bad between the head coach and Sanders, Daboll avoided the question altogether.