The NFL Combine always delivers a mix of talent evaluations, headline-worthy prospect quotes, front office buzz, wild overreactions, anonymous slander, and last-ditch efforts to manipulate the draft board. This year, New York Giants draft target, Shedeur Sanders, is unfortunately caught in the thick of it.
According to Josina Anderson, a quarterbacks coach from a team picking in the top seven described Sanders as “brash” and “arrogant” during his team interview. That’s already a red flag—not for Sanders, but for the coach spreading this garbage. Anderson went on to say this same coach “seems to have issue with ‘the culture’ of athletes who have broad fame and financial success before entering the NFL.” In other words, this isn’t about talent, work ethic, or leadership. It’s about a coach being uncomfortable with the way today’s athletes carry themselves.
I am disappointed to hear that a quarterbacks coach from a team drafting in the top 7 referred to Shedeur Sanders as coming off “brash” and “arrogant” in his team interview and making his assessment known to a number of people, per source. I’m purposely not naming the team, as… pic.twitter.com/OjCTciEZIa
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 3, 2025
The Giants should ignore this noise completely. They’ve spent the better part of the last year evaluating Sanders, and all signs point to a strong relationship between the two sides. If New York passes on him, fine. But it will solely be because of football-related reasons—not this nonsense.
Shedeur Sanders and the Giants have had mutual interest for months
Sanders hasn’t exactly been subtle about his interest in playing for the Giants, and New York has done everything short of outright confirming he’s on their shortlist.
- He was seen throwing passes with Malik Nabers on the streets of New York during the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
- He told reporters at the Shrine Bowl he’d be playing against the Cowboys “very soon”—a pretty specific thing to say when the Giants play Dallas twice a year.
- Before Colorado’s Alamo Bowl game against BYU, he had cleats in his locker decked out in Giants colors.
Whether it’s at No. 3 or No. 1 via a trade with the Tennessee Titans, the G-Men are clearly in the mix for Sanders.
And given the complete disaster at quarterback last season, and pretty much every season since Eli Manning's retirement, adding a player with his confidence, accuracy, and ability to take over a locker room wouldn’t be the worst idea. Remember, this is the kid who's turned two turned around two broken programs in Jackson State and Colorado.
No one is saying the Giants have to take Shedeur Sanders. Maybe they prefer Cam Ward. Maybe they want to trade down and build up the roster to help a quarterback in the next draft. Maybe they have their sights set on a veteran and a later-round quarterback. All of that is fair. But if they pass on him because of these weak anonymous criticisms, that would be a disgrace.
As Anderson put it: "Hopefully any potential biases towards 'the culture' are being checked at the door, as not to unduly impact stock & business. The modern-day college athlete is evolving, as is the scale of business and opportunities surrounding them before entering professional leagues. Adaption sounds necessary, and not just for Sanders."
The Giants have done their homework on Sanders. If they believe in him, they should trust their own evaluation—not some petty combine whispers.