The New York Giants are sitting with the #3 pick in Thursday's NFL Draft and there are still so many directions the team can go in, and the rumors are swirling all over the speculation of whose name will be called.
Early in the process most believed the Giants would land Cam Ward or Sanders, but as time has gone on we have watched Sander's stock fall and Ward's escalate. It seems like a given that Cam Ward will be gone by the #3 pick, and Sanders, well he has been mocked by experts as high as #2 and as low as the mid-teens at this point.
Adding Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, seemed to show the Giants cards that they won't go after a signal caller but each of them can be merely a bridge for that next franchise QB. Rumors are that even the Giants are split on whether or not they should take Sanders, and they might not be fully decided.
Let's assume though the Giants back off from making Sanders the pick at #3, where do they go from here? The Giants have more needs than it looks like as most bad teams do. That leaves Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. In other words, the Giants simply can't screw this up.
Hunter has been doing his best to make GM's not want to take him with him insisting that he will play both ways in the NFL and being loud about it, but his talent is unquestioned. Hunter would best fit the Giants as a WR, but the reality is it's much harder to find a shutdown corner in the NFL and most execs expect that whatever team drafts him will encourage Hunter to play on the defensive side of the ball. The Browns recently compared him to Ohtani, which could mean the Giants end up with Carter.
End up is such a weird term when, in all reality, Carter is probably the most talented player in the draft. Many scouts have said that he should be the #1 pick, but QBs always take precedent for team need like the Browns and Titans have. Carter is not only one of the most talented, but he is that rare NFL Draft prospect that has a high floor. The Giant's defense is one that is front loaded with big time pass rushers and adding to that group could make this team downright scary as soon as next season. Even if Carter doesn't wind up being like Michah Parsons, he will be a sack specialist on a defense first team. That's a win for a draft pick.
The jury is still out on whether Big Blue will choose Sanders, Hunter or Carter, but for many Giants fans and scouts alike the 3rd option might prove to be the best fit.