The first in a three-part series on the Giants' quarterback issues. Tomorrow we'll be looking at: Sam Darnold and other proven and semi-proven requests.
These five words are irrelevant to the Giants and their fans, and for the sake of the sanity of everyone involved, it's best not to say or think these words.
“If this was last year…”
We use that phrase in its proper context and then banish it forever.
The Giants would be in a pretty good position if they land a top quarterback this year in the 2024 NFL Draft. They own the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, which would have guaranteed them one of three top quarterback prospects.
With the No. 6 pick a year ago, the Giants watched quarterbacks like Caleb Williams, Jaeden Daniels and Drake Maye drop out at first, second and third and drafted wide receiver Malik Nabors. Nominated.
This year, No. 3 is not overwhelming in terms of true high-level prospects, and is one spot out of the position the Giants need in a draft that is widely thought to be primarily two quarterbacks. It looks like there are. And the consensus is that the top two players in Cam Ward and Shedule Sanders are performing well below the top three quarterbacks in the 2024 draft.
“They're a year too late,” David Sivertse, senior draft analyst at Hourads Scouting Service, told the Post.
Let's see if it's better late than never and that's the path the Giants choose.
According to most draft analysts, there are three groups of quarterbacks. Ward (Miami) and Sanders (Colorado) are at the top of the list, but the order depends on who you look at.
Then Jalen Milroe (Alabama) is pretty much in his own space as the third quarterback, with Jackson Dart (Ole Miss) in that tier.
Ward and Sanders will likely be left off the roster quickly — likely to be No. 1 and No. 2 on quarterback-needy teams (Titans and Browns) — and most likely with Milroe going in the late first round. I'm predicting it.
Then there's a third group, which is expected to be picked in the first round, second round, third round, and late on the third day of the draft.
That group consists of Darts (must go soon), Quinn Ewers (Texas), and other players to consider: Will Howard (Ohio State), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon). , Curtis Rourke (Indiana), Kyle McCord (Syracuse) and Max Brosmer (Minnesota).
“It's a very questionable group,” Syversen said of the 2025 quarterback class.
Last year, six quarterbacks made history in the top 12, with Michael Penix going No. 8 to the Falcons, JJ McCarthy going No. 10 to the Vikings, and Bo Nix going No. 12 to the Broncos. Ta. There was then a 137-pick difference, the largest difference in NFL Draft history, until the next quarterback was chosen by the Saints in the fifth round (No. 150), Spencer Rattler.
There could be another long gap this year with this mediocre group. The Giants have some decisions to make.
Do they prefer Sanders or Ward?
Do they believe it's worth trading up to get one or the other?
Are there any other quarterbacks in the group worth a second-round pick or a possible trade back to the first round?
Don't force the issue and put an impact player at the top position, sitting firmly at No. 3, either Penn State outside linebacker Abdul Carter or Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis.・Is it more reasonable to use hunters?
Mr. Sanders and Mr. Ward are so different as prospects, it's as if they had 10 positive and negative attributes and someone decided to divide them evenly into five players. Sivertsen is close to them, and Ward is one point higher than Sanders. “But the path to that grade was very different,” he said.
Sanders is more polished, a much more accurate passer, and is definitely ready for the pros. His floor is high, but his ceiling is low. He doesn't have much bust potential, but he probably doesn't have much star potential either. He was coached by his famous father, Deion Sanders, during his high school and two years of college, and appears to have been well-educated, with top-notch mechanics and a feel for how to handle the ball. He also isn't as athletic as Ward and is smaller, which is a concern.
“Sanders is 6-1, 198 losses,” Syversen said. “You can't play quarterback in the NFL under 200 pounds, and this kid has been in college for five years. He's not a 20-year-old who's still growing. He's very skinny from the waist down, and his calves and My thighs are very small.”
Ward is 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds.
“He's always been fat, like that redneck fat thing,” Siversen said.
Ward was a zero-star recruit coming out of high school who bounced from Incarnate Ward to Washington State without being seen as much of an NFL prospect. The 2024 season in Miami puts him in the top rung of quarterbacks in this class, but buyers should be careful.
Ward has a stronger arm than Sanders and is better able to make things happen with his feet. Syversen likens Ward to former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo because he can throw from different arm angles.
“Sometimes you think, 'Oh, he's not a good athlete, he's a pocket passer,' but he's really athletic in the short areas,” Sivertsen said. “When I have to run away from a phone booth, I can do it, and when I pass a rusher, I'm very slippery, like I'm covered in Vaseline.'' He only has a similar method. is [Patrick] Mahomes does, he anticipates the pass rush, the pass lanes, and that's a big part of moving to the next level – can you feel the pass rush? I think that's the biggest weakness in Shedule Sanders' game. That's one of the biggest contrasts between the two: Ward has a sixth sense, while Sanders doesn't. ”
However, there are also drawbacks. Where Sanders is sophisticated, Ward is raw. The safer choice is Sanders. Ward is a more forward-looking choice with some risks.
“His bad tape is the worst of all these tapes,” Syversen said. “His spectrum is very wide. He's had some terrible interceptions against Cal and Duke at Georgia Tech. What's bad about him is really bad. He's gotten a little bit lazy, His footwork seems to be a little slow, and that's the biggest problem, to use a basketball analogy: He hits three 3s, then two free throws and a layup. His mechanics are inconsistent. He doesn't set himself up properly. I like him. It was called the JV version.
As for the best of the rest, Milroe is the most intriguing, but also the most dangerous, as long as you're trying to figure out what he'll become. He's almost in the Lamar Jackson class as an athlete and runner, but he's nowhere near an NFL-level passer. Dart is a much more skilled passer, and Sivertsen believes Dart is the best in this class when it comes to pitching against pass rush pressure.
What is the best course of action for the Giants? Syversen said Carter or Hunter at No. 3 would add talent and playmaking to the defense, and the No. 2 pick would definitely be the quarterback. The rookie could stick with the Giants in 2025, along with veteran bridge quarterback signed in free agency.
“They're two guys who make a difference at key positions,” Syversen said of Carter and Hunter. “This is not an argument for Saquon Barkley against the value of the position. They play a premium position, and the Giants need a playmaker at a premium position.
But the Giants have to do something at quarterback to win games next year. If they have to be a quarterback, I'd go with Cam Ward at No. 3. ”
Is it necessary to do so? Another question for the Giants to ponder.
