“By not running, what are you hiding?” Now, finally, it’s time for Shedeur Sanders to answer Mike Tannenbaum’s sharp dig. The younger Sanders is a few minutes away from the Colorado Pro Day. Shedeur’s draft story is seemingly the one that made most of the noise in the Colorado offseason. A top-tier player constantly surrounded by the camera flashes and the high-profile attention has already been subjected to the unbridled hatred. Blame his no-nonsense attitude for that. But the question is whether he can match that up with his Pro Day performance. With his ability to operate seamlessly in a pro-style offense, the Buffs QB is set to be a future starter on Sundays. But there have been a few bumps in his films that might keep him one step down from Cam Ward.

Shedeur Sanders didn’t receive good hype during the Combine. He didn’t perform the drills in front of the scouts. His interview was widely tagged as brash and arrogant. Todd McShay, a long-time draft analyst, also thought Sanders’ behavior during the Combine media interaction was far from being decent and fair. Rather, it showcased a very unprofessional approach. While there are many among the college football fanatics, including Shannon Sharpe, Ocho, and Warren Sapp, who batted for the Colorado QB, the image got under the bus to some extent.

Now, everyone is waiting with bated breath for the Pro Day when Shedeur finally unleashes his talent in the 40-yard dash. All the other potential first-round quarterbacks have already thrown publicly at this point. Some NFL teams seem highly skeptical of Shedeur’s arm strength, size, and overall athleticism and aren’t betting a dime yet. However, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky had a different area of concern. “I want to see the ball jump off his hand. Because one of the notes that I have been watching his tape that comes up consistently is I want you to fire the football. I wish he had to drive the football more often. Touch throws, maybe, anticipation throws, they’re really good,” the ESPN journalist set expectations for the Colorado poster boy on his career-shaping day at Boulder.

That made some real sense. Some other analysts also highlighted Sanders’ knack for shorter, more manageable throws rather than driving the ball deep downfield. His arch-competitor for the No. 1 spot in the draft, Cam Ward, on the flip side, has authority over that. If he needs to come out of the top, he must look into the hole urgently. “I would want to see Shedeur just have to put his foot back, foot on the ground, and just drive the football and rip the football. Because I want to see it jump off his hand a little bit. Cam Ward does that. That’s why Cam’s going to go number one. It’s a trampoline out of his hand,” Dan added to the Buffs star’s Pre-Pro Day concern.

Relying heavily on the shorter throws might create a suffocating offense. It often feels like walking on eggshells. One negative play and risk the entire drive going off track. However, despite a few minor concerns, Sanders’ deep football IQ seems to be his biggest ace in the hole. He is a one-of-a-kind passer when given a clean pocket. The cannon arms and ability to come up with prompt decisions are the other areas that made him a ‘can’t miss’ catch for the teams. The reason Dan thinks Shedeur in the draft “is a fascinating evaluation because there are such highs and then some questionable lows.”

However, rising above all the facts and figures, the New York Giants seem to be hooked on Sanders.

Shedeur Sanders can fall out of the top three draft picks

Matt Miller recently reported that the New York Giants had scouts present at every Colorado home game this past season, an undeniable indication of their serious evaluation of Sanders. A league scout divulged to Miller, “New York loving Shedeur is the worst-kept secret in the league right now.” That statement is enough to make you believe the Giants are more than ready to take Shedeur if he is available at No. 3, but guess what? There’s more to their interest.

The head coach seems really invested in the Colorado QB and is keen to see him perform live. Speaking at the NFL’s annual meetings, Brian Daboll came clean about why he’s bailing on Boulder. “Usually, I don’t attend Pro Days,” he said. Then why does Colorado make it to his exception list this year? Of course, the one and only reason is Shedeur Sanders. While they already know that Cam Ward, the Miami star, is going 1st overall to the Titans or to the Browns as the second, Shedeur Sanders seems to be a feasible fit.

But the question is, did that trigger any change in Sanders’ draft stock? Well, respectfully, no. There is a good chance Shedeur can slip out of the top three. ESPN insider extraordinaire Adam Schefter gave a concerning take that might see Travis Hunter going as number 3 for the Giants and not Shedeur. “And there’s more and more of a feeling like the Giants might not go quarterback. If they don’t go quarterback, that would leave the other star player from this draft, Travis Hunter, to give New York a little star power that it lost when Saquon Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles,” the ESPN mogul noted. We will see what the rest of the draft story has in store for Shedeur going forward.