Mel Kiper Jr. offers surprising take on potential New York Giants draft target
The New York Giants remain firmly in the quarterback market as they await a decision from Aaron Rodgers but even after a veteran is signed, it's a near guarantee they take a rookie in the 2025 NFL draft.
With Miami's Cam Ward widely expected to go No. 1 overall and the Tennessee Titans appearing entrenched with that pick, it leaves the Giants with a choice: Overdraft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders or take a different player after Round 1.
In the mind of ESPN's Melk Kiper Jr., selecting Sanders should be an easy choice. Not only does he believe that would be a value pick at third overall, but he also believes Deion's son is actually the top quarterback available.
.@MelKiperESPN ranks Shedeur Sanders over Cam Ward as a better NFL quarterback 👀
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 18, 2025
“He dealt with NFL conditions. … You can win big in the NFL going about your business like Shedeur Sanders does.” pic.twitter.com/qqY7cnhpAW
"I've had him QB1 all along," Kiper Jr. said on First Take. "Love everything about the kid. ... He dealt with NFL conditions.
"You can win big in the NFL going about your business like Shedeur Sanders does."
That's a strong endorsement for a quarterback who is sliding down most draft boards and analyst rankings. It's also coming from the mind that once believed Will Levis would be a better quarterback than C.J. Stroud.
And that's not a knock on Kiper. Every expert, analyst, scout, and general manager makes mistakes in their evaluations. The Giants are certainly no stranger to that after going from Dave Gettleman to Joe Schoen. However, the consensus outside of Kiper is that Ward is a tier 1 quarterback in this class and, at best, Sanders is tier 2.
It will be interesting to see if the Giants and Schoen subscribe to Kiper's theory and take Sanders at No. 3 overall, especially if players like Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are on the board.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Mel Kiper Jr. offers surprising take on potential Giants draft target
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