The New York Giants have decided to attend a private workout for Shedeur Sanders a week before the NFL Draft, which has naturally led to the conclusion that they are considering drafting the former Colorado quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick. There may be more to it than that, however.
Sanders will work out for a contingent of Giants officials in Boulder, Colo., on Thursday night. That will reportedly be his last workout before the draft.
For weeks, there have been serious doubts about whether the Giants (or any other team with a top-five pick) have legitimate interest in Sanders. One report on Monday indicated that the majority of NFL coaches and scouts do not believe Sanders is a first-round talent, let alone one of the best players in the entire draft.
It is possible that the Giants disagree and genuinely believe Sanders can become a franchise cornerstone. Either that, or their decision to attend a private workout for Sanders is a last-ditch effort to maximize the trade value of their pick.
By creating the impression that they are thinking about drafting Sanders at No. 3 overall, the Giants might be trying to send a message to any team that is eyeing Sanders. The message would be that if said team wants Sanders badly enough, they will have to trade up for the quarterback.
Another potential scenario that the Giants could be considering is a trade back for Sanders. At least one notable team with a pick late in the first round has met with Sanders. If New York does actually want to draft Sanders, they might be able to do so by acquiring additional draft capital via a trade back and landing him later than No. 3.
The bottom line is the Giants would not waste their time sending executives and scouts to Boulder if they did not think it would benefit the team in some way. Either they strongly disagree with some of the descriptions we have heard of Sanders or are considering a trade back — for Sanders or another player.
