INDIANAPOLIS -- Shedeur Sanders' eyes lit up. He flashed the trademark smile he displayed while helping turn around the University of Colorado as its starting quarterback. This was Sanders' reaction as the possibility of spending his career with the New York Giants was mentioned to him in the news conference room at the NFL scouting combine in late February.
It was as if a switch had been flipped while he was shuttled from one station to the next, taking care of the seemingly endless stream of television obligations that morning. All of a sudden, in the midst of chaos, Sanders was at full attention. The prospect of playing in New York, being in New York for the start of his professional career, at the very least, piqued his interest. It's possibly his preference, despite all that comes with it.
"You've got to understand, when that last name is on your back, you're going to be attacked, ridiculed by naysayers. So, we're built for that," said Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur's father, before Colorado's pro day last week. "He was raised for this moment."
But the decision on whether Shedeur Sanders will come to the Giants as the third overall pick isn't his to make. It's up to the Giants, assuming Sanders is still available when they're on the clock. And it's on general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll to decide whether Sanders is worth a selection that high after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston as free agents.
The opinions vary depending on the individual. Sanders is the fifth overall prospect on Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board, the top-ranked quarterback in this year's draft. Fellow ESPN draft analysts Jordan Reid and Matt Miller both have him ranked 19th, and the second-best quarterback.
Sanders completed an FBS-best 74.0% of his passes with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this past season while leading Colorado to just its third bowl game in 17 years. But he was also sacked a Division-I-high 42 times and had fewer rushing yards (306) than yards lost on sacks (356).
It's the lack of elite physical traits that clouds Sanders' projection for some NFL evaluators. His superpower is elite accuracy (just 6.5% of his throws were off target this past season, third-best in FBS). It's not his size, speed or arm strength. All those are considered pedestrian at 6-foot-1½ and 212 pounds with no 40-yard dash on his résumé and very few lasers into tight windows on his film. This has some evaluators questioning his ceiling and is likely to determine whether the Giants feel he's worth the No. 3 pick.
Sanders' offensive coordinator at Colorado thinks these critiques are off base.
"I think the 31 teams that don't pick him are going to find out that those two things [lack of arm strength and athleticism] aren't correct really," former NFL coach and current Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur told ESPN in a phone interview. "I mean, I think he's got a really good arm and when you talk about arm talent, you talk about being able to make all the throws, being able to throw the ball accurately and being able to throw the ball with touch. And I think he can do all those things. I think of all the throws that you can make in college, and they're pretty similar to what you would make in the NFL, I don't know of any throw he can't make. So I think that would dispel that myth.
"And then in terms of his athletic ability, I think he's got really good sense of timing. He knows how to work in the pocket, but he does know how to scramble and make yards. You see a lot of quarterbacks that are able to do that. How many third downs do the Chiefs convert where [Patrick] Mahomes works his way through the pocket and scrambles for 6 or 8 yards. And again, I think Shedeur can do all those things. He's able to keep plays alive. There's a heroic nature that he has and he can make plays off-schedule. So I don't know what all that means about athletic ability. I think there's a lot of people in the world that can run really fast and jump."
This is what the Giants have to weigh: Are Sanders' physical traits enough to bypass the best non-quarterbacks in the draft (such as edge rusher Abdul Carter or wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter) with their top pick?
It's no secret that the Giants are desperate to find a quarterback of the future. Owner John Mara said earlier this year it was the organization's "No. 1 issue" this offseason. A scout told ESPN that New York had a presence at every Colorado game this year and Schoen made multiple trips to Boulder throughout the season. Assistant general manager Brandon Brown even addressed the Buffaloes following a midseason practice and Daboll went to the Shrine Bowl specifically to meet with Sanders. The 23-year-old quarterback who played collegiately at Jackson State and Colorado is believed to have visited the Giants after the combine and expected to have a private workout before the draft.
So clearly there is interest, especially with Miami's Cam Ward and the first overall pick seemingly unattainable. The Titans appear on track to make Ward the top pick.
Interest doesn't necessarily mean Sanders will be the choice at No. 3. Schoen said last week at the NFL's annual meetings that the Giants aren't going to "force" the pick for a quarterback. He would only do it if the "value is right."
One source with knowledge of the Giants' thinking doesn't believe they are in love with Sanders. Some in the organization are working under the premise that New York will take Carter or Hunter at No. 3 and look for a quarterback either later in the first round or on Day 2.
Until they are on the clock in two weeks, nobody knows for sure. The complexity of the Sanders evaluation could defer a decision until the final days.
Part of the difficulty is that 33.8% of Sanders' throws were at or behind the line of scrimmage last season, the fifth most in FBS.
That would seem to work in New York with wide receiver Malik Nabers, the second-year wide receiver who can make yards after the catch. It's the same type of quick game that Daboll used with Josh Allen in Buffalo early in the QB's career. Allen threw almost 25% of his passes at or behind the line of scrimmage as a rookie.
Still, the Giants are a team with a roster that is built to take chances downfield. Nabers, Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt and tight end Theo Johnson are all downfield receivers. Wilson's ability to throw the moon ball was one of the first things Daboll mentioned at the owners meeting.
Meanwhile, just 13.6% of Sanders' attempts last season came on vertical routes, a below-average amount. But he did post an impressive 95.2 QBR on deep throws.
The Giants and the rest of the NFL must figure how it all translates at the next level. It seems to be the question that will determine whether Sanders' eyes light up when the Giants are on the clock or if he'll have to wait to hear his name called to play in a smaller market.