New Analysis Lays out "Perfect" Free Agent and Draft Pick Combo for Giants

The New York Giants have a critical offseason ahead of them, during which they must make the right personnel decisions in free agency and the draft.

So, if they need a little help getting off to a strong start, Pro Football Focus has proposed the perfect package to help the franchise build some momentum next season.

The popular analytics site has proposed that the Giants, in the draft, snag Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the first round and make a strong pitch to acquire Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

“Sanders is often linked to New York, and given his strong foundation as a passer with fundamentally sound throwing mechanics that give him the tools to develop at the next level, it’s no surprise why,” PFF’s Mason Cameron said.

“Pairing Diggs’ experience with breakout star Malik Nabers would provide Sanders with quality weapons in the receiving game and ample opportunity to produce quickly.”

What happens up top in the draft depends on how the Titans and Browns elect to address the biggest hole on their respective rosters. One of either Sanders or Cam Ward could be selected with the first two picks. Still, this duo is one of the few that could hold serious upside for the Giants if it became a reality.

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) jogs onto the field during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Say what you want about the class and how it grades compared to the year before, but Sanders seems to have become the apple of the Giants regime’s eye in recent weeks since the college season ended.

The organization has met with him several times at the senior bowl events and looks forward to a top-30 meeting at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis to further evaluate his fit for their huddle.

Sanders, per numerous scouting reports, doesn’t possess the same arm strength or powerful dual-threat rushing abilities as his fellow draftee in Ward, but he makes up for it with a high football IQ, good decision-making, and a nice accurate touch on his throws.

The Giants feel they can mold the other areas of his game if he lands there, and he is the perfect type of flashy persona that the offense could use an injection of after a mildly efficient season where they averaged the lowest points per contest in the NFL.

We have previously noted that the Giants' need at wide receiver could become a sneaky one depending on what happens with impending unrestricted free agent Darius Slayton.

The former fifth-round selection has given the team very consistent production over six seasons despite a lot of instability at the quarterback position and is bound to draw interest as a No. 2 or 3-level aerial threat.

Nov 10, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) wears a shirt with wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) before the game against the Detroit Lions at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

If the Giants were to lose their homegrown veteran to a higher bidder, it’d be harder to find a more experienced and familiar free-agent replacement than Diggs, who has ties to the Schoen-Daboll regime from his days with the Bills. He is coming off an injury-riddled season that saw him play in just eight games for Houston, and he still finished fourth in the team receiving leaderboard.

Diggs has been one of the league's most productive No. 1 pass-catching options since he joined the Bills in 2020, Daboll’s last year as offensive coordinator there. That run included four straight years of at least 16 games played, 1,183 yards, and eight touchdowns, which helped lift Buffalo to annual postseason berths.

Adding Diggs’ presence and resume would give the Giants a second deep-range threat, taking pressure off of Malik Nabers to be the lone producer and creating trouble for any defense that tries to focus too much on one player.

The Giants' passing offense was one of the worst without Nabers’ numbers juicing it, and Diggs' combo would ensure that doesn’t happen again next season.

The only con of partnering with Diggs is that he is projected to be one of the highest-paid free-agent wide receivers in this year’s pool.

According to a one-year projection on Spotrac, his estimated market value is $13.5 million per year, but the Giants would likely have to spend that amount to keep Slayton in East Rutherford anyway.

That isn’t to say the Giants should show Slayton the front door, as he has brought so much reliability and class to the franchise, but the team has an underrated player waiting to replace him who would gel right into the current offensive system in place.

It all depends on how the board shapes up in Green Bay, which will tell the Giants what combination of players they will use to bolster their young roster. Leaving with this duo would certainly earn Schoen and Daboll a positive grade on paper, which would hopefully translate to the product on the field.

New Analysis Lays out "Perfect" Free Agent and Draft Pick Combo for Giants

More New York Giants Coverage

New York Giants On SI Social Media