One Man Could Force Giants' Hand

In the hours before the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants aren’t favored to take a quarterback. The odds and rumors suggest that, far and away, edge rusher Abdul Carter is the most likely option at No. 3.

That’s a perfectly reasonable outcome for the Giants – perhaps even the best-case scenario. Carter is a blue-chip prospect at a high-value position with a track record of production and plenty of athleticism to build on.

However, picking Carter means passing on a quarterback, leaving the fate of a long-term passer in the air for Round 2 or a trade into Round 1. Namely, it means that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will likely be off the board when New York picks again.

That isn’t the end of the world. Sanders isn’t an elite quarterback prospect like the trio that led off the 2024 class. He may very well fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 or even later if the board falls unfavorably. With that said, the front office likely has some attachment to Sanders, having spent so much time on him during the pre-draft process.

The Giants may have made up their mind and decided that Carter is the pick. But the one man who could change their plans, owner John Mara, feels strongly enough about Sanders, New York may not have crossed the finish line just yet.

Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz suggested as much in his pre-draft notebook.

“Just don't rule out Giants owner John Mara as a wild card — and that could lead to Shedeur Sanders in New York,” Schultz wrote.

“‘Mara loved Josh Allen back when they took Saquon [Barkley],’ one source said. ‘He had his Eli (Manning) successor in Allen and didn't push for it. That's stuck with him. What if Thursday night, he just says, ‘F--- it, it's my team. I want the QB.' That flips the draft on its head.”

There’s no reason to press the panic button just yet. Taking Sanders, at least according to the consensus, would be the wrong move. But with the odds skewed so incredibly in Carter’s favor, nobody thinks Mara is going to put his finger on the scale too heavily.

Mara made the decision to keep Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll for at least one more season. Slashing their power on the most important day of the offseason isn’t a likely (or reasonable) outcome.