How NY Giants' divergent paths in quest to find next quarterback are set to intersect
The divergent paths for the New York Giants in the search for both a veteran quarterback and the next quarterback of their future are about to collide with one another. That intersection will undoubtedly apply even more pressure to the challenge facing general manager Joe Schoen, head coach Brian Daboll and ownership to get whatever decisions they decide to make right.
Seemingly everything that comes next for these Giants depends on it.
The initial waves of NFL free agency are over and the Giants have yet to add to the one-man quarterback room of Tommy DeVito. They're waiting on Aaron Rodgers, who is reportedly going to continue taking his time in deciding between potential offers from the Giants and the Steelers, even after the Vikings essentially told him, "No thanks," at least not now. All the while, the Giants have brought Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Joe Flacco in for visits at their training facility. There is varying levels of interest in all three, although none are on board as of yet.
And here comes the complicated part: NFL Draft preparation is about to take center stage once again.
Pro Days have begun. The Giants will bring Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward and others in for "30" visits as the evaluation continues. That process will include private on-campus visits for those two and others, not to mention the time team brass has already spent with the top half of quarterbacks in the Class of 2025.
From Ward and Sanders to Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart and Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Syracuse's Kyle McCord and Ohio State's Will Howard to Louisville's Tyler Shough, the Giants are doing their homework young and old.
The latest happenings include Sanders' re-emergence as a strong contender for the Giants, especially if they are unable to trade up from No. 3 with the Tennessee Titans for No. 1, where many now believe they'll stick and pick Ward.
Longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Giants and a pairing with the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders makes sense in the Big Apple. Among the reasons: it could work in a similar way things just clicked for Eli Manning with Big Blue and another famous NFL father who was also an integral part of his journey to the league.
"It's this time of the year, when you get closer to the draft and jobs are on the line and it's the pressure, you go with the guy who has the more of an impressive, physical skill set - and that would be Cam Ward, I get that," Kiper said Wednesday. "But I think that doesn't always determine who the best quarterback is in the NFL, and certainly some really good, some of the greatest of all-time, Johnny Unitas, Tom Brady, they weren't going to beat you with their legs. You can still win from the pocket. So, I think, that's still something that Shedeur knows how to do and he does very effectively. Shedeur, also, with Deion, and same thing when you think about Eli with Archie, I think being able to handle pressure and expectations, he does that very well. This whole circus atmosphere people think will come with Shedeur is ridiculous, it's not gonna happen."
There is not one foolproof pathway to finding a franchise QB and the Giants have multiple avenues available to them in that mission. Schoen set out on those and promised he would be unafraid to take swings at the position. They did in talking a potential trade for Matthew Stafford, who went back to the Rams. They've engaged with Rodgers, initially at the behest of his representatives, while also meeting with Wilson, Flacco and Winston.
The Giants have not lost any ground in that respect, at least not yet. They are free to pivot at any time.
But now that Schoen and Daboll are bound to head back out on the pre-draft circuit, that again becomes a priority.
These are massive decisions that must be made at the position, and the Giants need to prepare for each and every scenario both in free agency and in the draft.
The Giants are sitting with the No. 3 overall pick, and the tandem of Sanders and Ward are widely considered the top two quarterback options in that spot. There are questions with both prospects, and the takes on social media and from draft pundits have gotten more wild and polarizing as we moved forward in the process.
If Sanders goes to Cleveland, the Giants will have the choice of the best non-QB on their board.
"There are two special players in this draft only," Kiper quipped, pointing to Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and Sanders' Colorado teammate, the Heisman Trophy-winning dual threat, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter.
Milroe impressed in Tuscaloosa at his Pro Day on Wednesday, and his talent as more of a developmental prospect with untapped upside was on display, especially with an eye-popping 40 timed as fast as 4.37. Dart has a legitimate chance to join Ward and Sanders in the first round, while Milroe is a wild card, likely early in Day 2. Shough, McCord and Howard have all done well for themselves in recent weeks.
Sanders is unlikely to draw oohs and aahs with his arm like Justin Herbert or his wheels like Lamar Jackson, or run people over like Josh Allen. The star quarterback from Colorado is poised, tough and leads as a face of the franchise must command the locker room with purpose and, in his case, undeniable swagger.
And Kiper cautions, don't let what Sanders isn't blindly lead you away from what he actually does really well.
In some ways, Sanders is a quarterback from a different age of the NFL. His game still plays, even if teams spend so much time drooling over unicorns at the position with physical talent to drool over.
"He doesn't have explosive arm strength or explosive legs. So you're talking about a traditional, old school pocket passer that's gonna need help," Kiper said of Sanders. "He's gonna need an offensive line in front of him, just like Brady needed coming out of Michigan ... For Shedeur, you've got to know what you're getting, and be happy with an old school traditional pocket passer. To me, the Giants are a really good fit. Daboll and Schoen can pick their own quarterback. If they love him, you take him. If they don't, you pass. But somebody's got to play quarterback in a division with [Jalen] Hurts, and Jayden [Daniels], and [Dak] Prescott."
The Giants will eventually announce to the football world their choice or choices to take up that challenge.
In reality, from top to bottom, this organization knows it's time to find that answer.
Until then, the search continues - and it's only going to get more daunting from here.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Giants: Divergent paths in quest to find next QB set to intersect
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