Giants Super Bowl Hero Urges Team to Avoid Drafting Sanders and Ward in First Round

The New York Giants remain strongly linked to one of the top two quarterback draft prospects, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Cam Ward of Miami, projected as a potential first-round target for New York in next month’s draft.

But if it were up to former New York Giants receiver and Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree, the Giants would use the third overall pick in the draft on a different position.

"I hope my NYG gets a competent QB in free agency. Neither Cam or Shedeur are great fits at 3rd spot #yeaisaidit," Tyree posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Tyree didn’t go into detail as to why he doesn’t think Sanders and Ward would be great fits, but it’s always interesting to see what a former Giants player has to say about the direction the team is heading in.

Tyree played six seasons from 2003-2009 in East Rutherford. He was there when the Giants selected and developed Eli Manning. The duo connected for one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history with the helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII.

When challenged about his opinion, the Livingston, NJ native clarified that while he wasn’t saying Ward and Sanders wouldn’t be great, he believed they would be a reach with the No. 3 overall pick.

Tyree referencedwhen the Giants selected Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Jones was projected as a Day 2 prospect throughout the Draft process, but the Giants, who that year were widely thought to be wanting Justin Herbert out of Oregon, were left disappointed when Herbert returned to school.

Didn’t say they wouldn’t be great, they’re just not great at 3. Daniel Jones could be a great QB, he wasn’t great at 6 🤷🏾‍♂️
— David Tyree (@TyreeNation) March 3, 2025

Getting back to the present, the 45-year-old Tyree thinks the Giants should sign a veteran instead of drafting a quarterback, which general manager Joe Schoen has said is the plan.

Originally, Tyree wanted the Giants to trade for Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford. However, after a strong effort to acquire Stafford, the veteran signal-caller decided to stay with the Rams.

Tyree, who played his college ball at Syracuse and gave a thumbs up to a suggestion that the Giants consider Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord in the third round, favors Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson as the Giants’ veteran bridge option.

"There’s a couple, I would love @dangerusswilson (Russel Wilson) for career finale," Tyree posted in response to a question posed by Brandon London, a fellow former Giants receiver who was part of that 2007 Giants Super Bowl team.

The nine-time Pro Bowler threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 63.7% of his throws in 13 games for the Steelers after missing the first six games of the season with a calf injury.

Wilson and the Giants had an exploratory meeting last offseason. However, he signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Steelers as the Giants stood by Daniel Jones amidst his recovery from an ACL injury.

That said, there is a strong belief that if the Steelers don’t re-sign Wilson before the start of free agency, he and the Giants might revisit with one another.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen said he'd like to add a veteran and a rookie this offseason. The Giants have reportedly been interested in soon-to-be former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose camp reportedly reached out to the Giants during the combine to gauge their interest.

Draft-wise, the Giants may go against Tyree's wishes and select either Ward or Sanders. They could even trade up to the No. 1 pick for their choice of quarterbacks.

The Giants have been rumored to be interested in acquiring the No. 1 overall pick from the Tennessee Titans and are thought to view Ward as the best prospect of the current group.

If the Giants don't view Ward or Sanders as options, they could target a quarterback on Days 2 and 3. This would allow them to select the best prospect on their draft board with the No. 3 pick.

Giants Super Bowl Hero Urges Team to Avoid Drafting Sanders and Ward in First Round

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