The New York Giants tried their hardest to no avail to trade up and draft a quarterback during the 2024 NFL Draft. Things could be different next time around. The Giants have officially benched Daniel Jones and will be back in the market for his replacement in the 2025 offseason. However, they will face some steep competition around the league for the 2025 NFL Draft’s top quarterback prospects and may have to trade up to land the player they desire most.
Giants trade up for Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders in latest 2025 mock draft
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is shooting up draft boards and could wind up being the consensus top quarterback prospect in the class when it’s all said and done. He will bring a Pro Football Hall of Fame bloodline to the NFL with him as the son of the legendary defensive back Deion Sanders. But it’s more than just Shedeur’s lineage that makes him so enticing.
Sanders is a deadly-accurate passer with a strong arm and poise to make plays under pressure. Some analysts think he is the exact kind of talent that an NFL franchise will want to build their team around. For those reasons, Justin Melo of The Draft Network had the Giants pulling off a blockbuster trade to move up to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and make Sanders the first guy off the board:
“The New York Giants make an aggressive move to No. 1 overall,” Melo explained. “This regime is preparing to move on from Daniel Jones, and aside from QB, have built a competitive roster. Having accumulated young offensive talents like Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy Jr., now’s the time to go get their QB. Shedeur Sanders is this class’ most talented signal-caller, with outstanding deep ball accuracy and a knack for making off-script plays.”
Melo’s mock trade had the Giants sending their first and second-round picks in 2025 (fifth and 36th overall, respectively), their 2026 first-round pick, and their 2026 third-round pick to move up for spots and take Sanders with the first-overall pick in the draft. This would be a steep price to pay to move up just a few selections. However, if Sanders is able to reach his potential, and bring a winning culture back to New York, it will be a price worth paying — like it was when the Giants similarly traded two firsts, one third-round pick, and one fifth-round pick for Eli Manning back in 2024.
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Would Sanders play for the Giants?
Sanders is rumored to share another similarity to Manning that could complicate things come draft time. His father Deion is expected to get involved in the pre-draft process and ultimately dictate where Shedeur will and will not be drafted. A similar story played out with Eli Manning when his father Archie Manning got involved and the family decided against playing in San Diego for the Chargers. Consequently, he was traded to New York for a haul of picks. Whether or not Shedeur and Deion will agree to a selection from the Giants remains to be seen. However, he would be an exciting selection for New York.
So far, through 10 games this season, Sanders has completed a conference-high 72.9% of his passes for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns with a 163.0 passer rating. He’s also added four rushing touchdowns and has thrown just seven interceptions. Sanders is an electric passer who has been helping Colorado light up the scoreboard this season.
The Giants need to roll the dice on a rookie quarterback in 2025. Sure, Sanders might come with some risks and concerns. However, his talent is undeniable, and the Giants desperately need an undeniably great talent under center. A blockbuster trade for Sanders might be controversial, but if it produces wins in the long run, all controversy will be muted under the sound of greatness.
