Drew Lock may have saved the Giants from themselves after Shedeur Sanders report

Drew Lock dropping 45 points on the Indianapolis Colts might have actually been a blessing in disguise. With the win over the Colts, the New York Giants ended Indy’s chance at getting into the playoffs and also knocked themselves out of the No. 1 pick.

The good thing with that is they don’t have the pressure of deciding between a positional need and the best prospect in the 2025 draft class. It also means they may not have to take a gamble on Shedeur Sanders. 

During an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero said it’s possible that Sanders isn’t even the first quarterback taken, let alone a sure-fire first overall pick. Some NFL scouts don’t have a first-round grade on Sanders. That’s partly because of how his final game at Colorado went. 

"I've already talked to people within the league who don't have anything close to a first-round grade on the guy," Pelissero said, h/t Bleacher Report. "The idea that he's just going to walk in and going to be the No. 1 pick, that's probably pushing it... if I were guessing who comes off the board first, I'd say Shedeur is not the first Colorado player off the board as it stands today."

Sanders and the Buffaloes struggled against fellow Big 12 foe BYU in the Alamo Bowl in a 36-14 loss. He threw two touchdowns, two interceptions and a season-low 208 passing yards. Despite having a good senior season, that game might be a damper on his draft stock. 

Shedeur Sanders might be as high of a draft pick as originally advertised

Lock helping the Giants fall down in the draft position was good for a couple reasons. One they get to decide how they want to draft while not succumbing to any pressures. At the same time though, it also means if Cam Ward and Sanders are taking before their pick, their rebuild becomes tougher. 

Nonetheless, if some NFL scouts aren’t ranking Sanders as a first-round prospect, that means they can avoid drafting a player that might be a bust. Doesn’t mean he will, but it’s something to think about. 

I think Sanders will be just fine in the draft. And personally, would fit best with the Giants. But maybe some GMs and scouts see something I don’t. And who knows, maybe Lock could be a decent swing option while the Giants look for their long term answer.

If they forgo a quarterback with Sanders’ draft value not as high and Ward most likely not on the board at No. 4 if the current draft positions stay the same, they will probably look to the free agent market.

Either way, the Giants have a lot of pressure in general to draft right so who knows, maybe Lock winning a meaningless game could have a silver lining.