Giants Shedeur Sanders smokescreen takes shape as NY holds mass QB workouts

The New York Giants made waves on Monday, scheduling a private workout with Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders a mere week before the NFL Draft.

Sanders' stock has been in free fall of late, so the sudden spike in (apparent) interest from the Giants came as a surprise. There was once a time when Sanders to New York at No. 3 felt almost like a foregone conclusion; the Buffs signal-caller has flirted openly with the Giants in the past, and few teams have less long-term stability at QB.

After signing both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, however, the Giants put the Sanders buzz to rest — for the most part. His subsequent tumble down draft boards only reinforced the idea that New York might go another direction.

A workout so close to draft night certainly raised eyebrows, though. Many thought it was a tipping of New York's hand. Others thought it was a smokescreen. Now, we are beginning to get a more complete picture of the circumstances behind Sanders' last-minute workout with the Giants.

According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, this workout was always planned — it just took a while for both sides to find an open window.

Sanders isn't the only quarterback slated to meet with the Giants individually over the next week either. So, the smokescreen has vanished. We don't need to act like Sanders to New York is a given, because it's not.

Giants to work out several quarterbacks, including Shedeur Sanders, before NFL Draft

In addition to Sanders, the Giants will hold private workouts with Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Louisville's Tyler Shough over the next week, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"A QB is on the Giants' radar," he wrote on X. "Which and where they pick him are the looming questions."

It's not terribly hard to read between the lines here. All the buzz around Sanders has been that he's falling on boards; some scouts don't even view him as a first-round talent. After paying two high-profile vets this offseason, the odds of New York burning their top-3 pick on an iffy quarterback prospect are low.

Now, might the Giants attempt to trade back into the first round and select Sanders later on? That feels possible. With teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers in the mix at No. 21, Sanders could be gettable well past New York's initial top-3 selection. We know there is long-held mutual interest here, so we can't rule out a partnership.

As the board currently lies, however, it feels much more likely that we see the Giants take the plunge on Milroe or Shough early in the second round. Milroe's athletic tools were always going to appeal to teams as an upside play. He'd probably benefit from a year or two behind Russ before inheriting a substantial role. Shough, meanwhile, continues to generate buzz after a strong pre-draft process. He's rising up boards, even if skepticism is wise — especially if he ends up with a less established group like New York.

Sanders was incredible at Colorado, but limited athleticism and arm talent could overshadow his strong processing skills. The Giants will leave no stone unturned, but don't hold your breath if you're a New York fan hoping for Deion Sanders' prodigy at No. 3.