The Giants are still doing due diligence on Shedeur Sanders, being set to conduct a private workout with the Colorado star in Boulder on Thursday. But it is undeniable that Sanders’ stock has slipped during the pre-draft process.
No longer being mocked consistently in the top three, despite the Browns and Giants‘ QB needs, Sanders now may need to be patient. The Browns and Giants are not expected to draft him, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, who notes it could be a surprise if the Raiders, Jets and Saints (Nos. 6, 7 and 9, respectively) prevented him from falling out of the top 10.
This runs counter to a late-March report indicating Sanders was unlikely to fall out of the top 10, but the consensus appears to be changing. We heard recently a New Orleans landing may not be too likely, though that report emerged before Derek Carr‘s prospective surgery became public. Sanders and Travis Hunter dined with Browns brass before Colorado’s pro day, but Cleveland has been viewed as more likely to draft the two-way dynamo at No. 2. This would leave Abdul Carter for the Giants, even as the team rosters Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux already.
Coaches and scouts are not seeing enough to justify an early-first-round pick on tape, Breer adds, with many not grading him as a first-round talent. Although Sanders’ accuracy has drawn praise, his penchant for taking sacks offers a negation. The two-year Buffaloes starter also has not displayed high-end arm strength on tape, and despite his father being one of the greatest players in NFL history, Shedeur is not viewed as particularly athletic. That has created concerns about a QB-needy team making him its new franchise centerpiece via a top-10 investment.
Potential concerns about Deion Sanders’ involvement in his son’s career are natural for teams, but Breer and Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline have attempted to explain NFL staffers’ issues with the quarterback from a strictly on-field standpoint. Despite Shedeur’s 37:10 TD-INT ratio last season, he finished with negative rushing yards — due both to taking sacks and not contributing heavily as a rusher. Sanders’ fundamentals are drawing scrutiny, per Pauline, though he adds the QB’s toughness has garnered praise.
We have heard some teams have Jaxson Dart graded higher than Sanders on this year’s board, and Breer adds it might take owner involvement to ensure Sanders becomes a first-round pick. The 2022 draft brought what was viewed at the time as a significant slide, with Malik Willis dropping from likely first-round pick to 86th overall. It would still be shocking if Sanders experienced a comparable tumble as part of the latest maligned QB class, but a top-10 investment now may be unlikely. That will create major questions as to where Sanders will wind up.
Holding the No. 21 overall pick, the Steelers have hosted Sanders on a “30” visit. Of course, a host of non-QB-needy teams picking between the Saints and Raiders opens the door to a potential trade-up move. The Browns and Giants could have a window to move back in, though if the teams do not hold Sanders in much higher regard compared to this draft’s other second-tier QBs (Dart, Quinn Ewers, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe), waiting on them may be the play rather than handing over notable draft capital in a Sanders-based trade. Plenty of Giants-Sanders connections emerged during the pre-draft process, but a year after Big Blue was tied closely to J.J. McCarthy only to pass on him, some are doubting the Giants like Sanders all that much.
Unless Cleveland and New York are conducting elaborate smokescreens, Sanders likely will be in for a wait next week. This would open the door to teams like the Raiders and Jets adding Sanders as a high-end developmental option behind established starters. Beyond that, this draft will become quite interesting at QB after the Titans take Cam Ward — as they are widely expected to — to open the event.
When Winston and Flacco signed, the writing was on the wall. Looks like the hype train was to trick desperate teams at the top into a massive overreach.
@druuu. Yeah, but it doesn’t look like it’s working. He could be falling because he’s not showing up to the draft.
I don’t think his attendance is detrimental to being drafted, but it is a telling sign of his attitude already.
I think it’s a telling sign that he’s not showing up to the draft cause he doesn’t want to sit in the green room and be embarrassed all night.
Sorry but that has absolutely nothing to do with why he would fall in the draft. They don’t care if he’s there or not. They care if you can play football. When you’re running billion dollar organizations, competing at the highest level of your field, where millions of dollars of income are at stake for you and your employees; you don’t make decisions on trivial things like that
Wouldn’t surprise me at all. I just don’t see him as a 1st round pick or a franchise QB.
3rd round as developmental QB I could see.
Will be interesting part of the draft though.
He’s not getting first round grades because he’s not a first round QB. Hes a developmental QB for a team that has an older QB that he can sit behind and maybe take over in a couple years. Reaching and using a 1 on him would be right out of the “How to Get Fired as an NFL GM” manual
@dirtbag. Someone will trade up at the end of the first. The price isn’t that high to do it because #20-50 is about the same talent level. So a playoff team might be willing to get more dart throws. Trading up for a first round pick gets you the 5th year option, so it’s probably worth since the quarterback prices are crazy. Even if he’s a backup after the 5th year
I’m predicting 5! Count them…5! QB’s go in the first 10 picks! You heard it here first!
I sure hope so.
That means bigger chance of a player falling to 30.
Steelers will bring him in to be #3 and be tutored by Rodgers for a season.
Roger’s doesn’t and won’t “tutor” a new and young QB….nit in his DNA
And yet, he’s apparently told the Vikings that he would be just that, a mentor. I get that it’s part of his sales pitch but he did finally warm up to that role in Green Bay
His stock has slipped? Only NFL GM’s can answer that. Not the media. The media may have been wrong from the beginning.
Remember when CJ Stroud’s stock slipped according to the media, and then he went #2?
Wtf are you doing Phil? (Love the tpb reference lol) don’t inject logic onto the internet
PEANUT BUTTER AND JAAAAAAAAAAAM
What’re you lookin at my gut fer?
By now you heard the story about how i got caught….playin with my sh*t, but hold that thought…before you disrespect J R O C, it could happen to you because it happened to me n T.
Pay attention to what Cleveland and the Giants do at QB, lol. He won’t slip past the Raiders.
Eh, someone will jump on him. Maybe they don’t think he’s a top 10 player, but you know how it is with QBs.
He needs the Steelers and the Steelers need him .
I think if Arod or Cousins don’t end up in Pittsburgh before the draft – they gotta pull the trigger don’t they?
Cousins? The human statue? Playing behind this O-line may put him in intensive care
I like Sanders and saw many of his games. Would love to see him end up here in Pittsburgh. Fascinating that a player’s stock either rises or slips at this juncture. It’s almost like the stock market. Just who is making these pronouncements? Based on what….what he had for dinner?
I don’t see the love for Ward. Not thrilled by Dart. Or Milroe. Schough’s injury history is worrisome. Howard, McCord? Later rounds
But this kid is a keeper.
Its not like Rodgers is super elusive either.
I wouldn’t be feeling good about Arod in any scenario. He may end up just retired.
Cousins was bad last year – but at least he has a recent history of being capable.
The entire point wasn’t love for either QB – its that if you don’t get one before the draft, you need to trade up and get one or else risk a trade scenario not solidifying.
Not doing so pretty much any increases the odds you start the season with Mason Rudolph. ( in which case you are in excellent position to get someone next year)
Of course a trade can still happen after the draft – but your lifeboats are getting less likely and it is pretty risky. You would be more desperate.
“Coaches and scouts are not seeing enough to justify an early-first-round pick on tape, Breer adds, with many not grading him as a first-round talent. Although Sanders’ accuracy has drawn praise, his penchant for taking sacks offers a negation. The two-year Buffaloes starter also has not displayed high-end arm strength on tape, and despite his father being one of the greatest players in NFL history, Shedeur is not viewed as particularly athletic. That has created concerns about a QB-needy team making him its new franchise centerpiece via a top-10 investment.”
If you think a guy is a franchise QB, he’s worth a top 10 pick.
If you don’t and he’s not…you don’t make him the face of your franchise just because you got him off the clearance rack.
You’d hope the Steelers would have learned that after Pickett, but…we’ll see.
Sanders played behind a similar O-line at Colorado as he would with the Steelers. No, he’s not a Lamar type but he’s not a statue back there either, which is a plus. I thought he is a prototypical pocket passer who makes good reads where Pickett is the exact opposite. Of course, it helped to have Hunter as his wideout, too
Better athlete, better QB.
In better drafts with a huge QB pool maybe he’s not top 10 but I don’t see much changing in ‘26. The Steelers have a need and kicking the can down the road again in favor of a 42 year old, one year and done type guy lacks logic, to me at least
Draft the kid. Or any QB with upside and play Rudolph for awhile. Can’t see Rodgers or, gasp, Cousins, meaning many more wins
I would certainly hope the Raiders pass on him. Giving Cam Smith 3 years would not make sense for them to be interested in The Sanders hype train perpetuated by sports media.
I agree. You gotta believe.
Thats the thing, was Hunter the key to Sanders success? Can he develop for a chance to start quickly? I think he goes to the Saints.