It looks like Shedeur Sanders is starting to slide down the NFL draft board, per major Las Vegas Sportsbooks. Just a week ago, Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter was the heavy favorite to land in Cleveland and now he’s the heavy favorite to land with the New York Giants at No. 3. Travis Hunter is now the favorite to land with the Browns.
This is a lot of things, but I never would have guessed the Giants would consider not drafting a quarterback if one were available. They have Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson, but both are bridge options.
For a team and front office that is on the hot seat, looking elsewhere other than a quarterback if Sanders is there at No. 3 is a head-scratching move. It’s not like Wilson or Winston have given anybody faith they’ll win when it matters.
Winston renewed new life in a team that plummeted to rock bottom. But after the pomp and circumstance whittled away, it was a stark reminder why the Tampa Buccaneers gave up on the former No. 1 overall pick.
Wilson, for as good as he was during the regular season, faltered so badly to end the 2024 season, it was overlooked by how bad Sam Darnold collapsed. But Wilson lost five straight games to end 2024 and ended up losing in the first round of the playoffs too.
The New York Giants are playing with fire if Vegas odds allude to their NFL Draft day strategy
Abdul Carter would be a great pick for any team and the strategy of drafting best available with your first round pick is a solid strategy. But just a month ago, things were grim for the Giants as they scrambled to address their quarterback need.
They scooped up Wilson and Winston as contingency plans because they weren’t confident one of Cam Ward or Sanders would fall. It’s not guaranteed either one falls too. But if one of them is there at No. 3, they’d be foolish to go anything other than quarterback.
Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are on the thinnest blade of ice imaginable. How they approach this draft would undoubtedly determine if they have jobs in East Rutherford next season. If they refuse to draft Ward or Sanders at No. 3, it’s admission they’re putting their faith in aging veterans.
That’s not a horrible move, but when those veterans are Wilson and Winston, it makes you wonder if they’re putting too much faith in the wrong players.