As the New York Giants plan to bring in Sanders for one final private workout, oddsmakers were quick to adjust their lines as to who the franchise will select at third overall on April 24.
Prior to April 14, most people around the NFL were under the impression the New York Giants would be selecting either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter with its third overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24. On that date, however, it was reported the Giants would be hosting Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders for a private workout on April 17, along with future visits for Louisville signal caller Tyler Shough and Alabama dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe. Some believe the Giants are just doing its due diligence with the main quarterback prospects while understanding that Miami signal caller Cam Ward is almost certainly going first overall to the Tennessee Titans.
Others, though, think New York Owner John Mara has made his voice heard in the process, signaling that he wants a quarterback of the future to sell to his fanbase. Giants GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are under immense pressure to put together a respectable effort at the least in 2025-2026, as the Giants have won less than 10 games in the last two years combined. Sanders has shown flashes of being a potential long-term solution for any franchise’s quarterback woes, displaying incredible accuracy during his time in Colorado and throwing for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions last season. Having been teammates with Hunter as well, the duo helped put the Colorado football program back on the main stage of college football, now hoping to bring their talents over to the NFL.
The Cleveland Browns are favored to select Hunter at second overall over both Sanders and Carter, as the Browns recently signed defensive end Myles Garrett to a long-term extension that was quite lucrative, as well as having DeShaun Watson recovering from injury at quarterback. Cleveland will need to find an actual solution at quarterback given that Watson will miss the entire year, but the franchise traded for former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, who rebuilt some of his value with the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
New York signed two veterans at quarterback - Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston - perhaps showcasing a lack of desire to add a rookie quarterback for a season in which winning immediately is the requirement. Adding a player of Sanders or Milroe pedigree, however, may buy Schoen and Daboll additional time to create a successful roster, as Mara would most likely be willing to allow Daboll the chance to groom any rookie quarterback into an above average starter.
On FanDuel, New York is listed with odds of -250 to select Carter, pairing the potential generational pass rusher with a defensive line that includes Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The defensive line would resemble that of the pass rushers who helped the Giants win Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011, including Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and NFL Hall-of-Famer Michael Strahan. While the Giants would reportedly prefer to add Hunter and his dual-threat capabilities, showcasing extreme talent at both wide receiver and cornerback while teaming with Sanders on the Buffaloes, it is more likely he ends up with the Browns. Cleveland is given odds of -310 to draft Hunter, with a clear sense of confidence shown by FanDuel that the Browns will promote a defensive core of Hunter and Garrett in 2025-2026 and beyond.
Sanders currently sits at +450 to be selected at third overall, behind Hunter who has odds of +300, as many expect the son of Deion Sanders to land with the New Orleans Saints who desperately need a signal caller after Derek Carr’s 2025 season was put in jeopardy due to injury.
He still has odds of -185 to be selected within the top 10 picks on April 24 according to FanDuel, as the Saints at ninth overall has become a consensus floor as to where he could drop to. Milroe, Shough and Jaxson Dart are seen as round two quarterbacks, or options for teams such as the Browns or Giants to trade back into the first round for. Milroe was invited to attend the Draft on night one, signaling that the league has some confidence he will be selected within the top 32 picks.
No matter how the NFL Draft works out on April 24, the night most likely starts with the Giants at third overall, as Hunter to the Browns seems as much of a foregone conclusion as Ward to the Titans despite the difference in odds. If Cleveland genuinely favored Carter, it likely would have been more open to shopping Garrett when he demanded a trade prior to signing an extension, but instead the franchise seems dead set on adding a playmaker to both sides of the ball. What the Browns do at quarterback for 2025-2026 and on is still a major question mark, as New York at least has two veterans in the locker room, one of which (Wilson) made the Playoffs last season.
Look for odds to continue shifting leading up the night of round one, as teams will continue dispelling rumors and attempt to be as concealed as possible for who each is selecting on April 24. Between New York, Cleveland and New Orleans, one is likely to walk away with Sanders on the night of the draft, with the Giants and Browns having to decide if the generational upside of both Carter and Hunter is worth passing on a potential long-term solution at the most important position in football.
