The lasting memory from the "Hard Knocks" documentary series featuring the New York Giants should not be John Mara's sleepless night promise regarding Saquon Barkley and the Eagles or any of the foreshadowing of the harsh reality of the Daniel Jones quandary that came to pass last month.
What should resonate now for the Giants is the exchange from the days leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft when general manager Joe Schoen fired the question at head coach Brian Daboll and assistant GM Brandon Brown, among others assembled in their war room.
"Daniels: Have you guys seen enough that you would trade up for him?" Schoen asked, referencing then-LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, currently the front runner for the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award and the leader of an unexpected resurgence in Washington.
Daboll did not hesitate in response: "Daniels? I would."
There are layers to that answer all these months later, of course, First off: the Giants were never convincing their NFC East brethren to allow them to trade up from No. 6 to No. 2, which is where the Commanders drafted Daniels.
But perhaps even more glaring: Daboll had Daniels pegged from jump. He had watched plenty of tape on his top receiver, Malik Nabers, the prospect the Giants were thrilled to get sixth overall. And throughout that evaluation, Daniels' "it factor" jumped off the video, too.
It's worth bringing this back to the forefront with Daniels performing so well and with the Giants currently projected to have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There has been criticism of Daboll and whether he should be the coach who gets to, along with Schoen, make the call on the Giants' drafting their next quarterback, whether that selection is Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward when the festivities take place in Green Bay next April.
Daboll's conviction on Daniels should give Giants ownership some level of confidence that he knows how to evaluate the position, regardless of what may have transpired with Jones the past two seasons.
So now, the question is this: what means more to the Giants' future - winning a game at home Sunday against the Indianapolis to finish 1-8 and avoid achieving more dubious NFL history; or securing the No. 1 pick and having control of what you do in 2025 and beyond.
The mere mention of tanking for a higher draft pick before Thanksgiving is foolish. There's too much time with far too many games to play.
With two weeks left, the Giants at 2-13 and in control of the No. 1 pick, it is a completely different story.
The Giants control everything right now: choice of QBs, a possible trade down to accrue more picks, everything.
Finishing 0-9 at home is a means to an end, while admittedly adding the uncertainty of whether ownership will sign off on bringing Schoen and Daboll back in the aftermath of another lost season, this one that could end with a 12-game losing streak.
And here's the catch: if the Giants lose out, they won't have to deal with anyone to get their QB of choice.
"Basically what it's going to come down to, if the Giants get the No. 1 pick, are you comfortable taking that risk with a player like Cam Ward or do you want to play it safe with Shedeur?" ESPN analyst Jordan Reid told NorthJersey.com. "That's what Schoen and Daboll, if they're the guys making the decision, that's what they're gonna have to decide. Do you go with the player that's a bit safer, or do you go for the home run swing, potentially, with a guy like Cam Ward?
"I love Cam's ceiling, but Shedeur's floor is higher than Cam's, if that makes sense. There's a lot of boom or bust factor with Cam, and Cam is my top ranked quarterback."
Ward, a Heisman finalist, has led Miami's offense with over 4,000 yards passing and 36 passing touchdowns this season. He has the second-most passing yards in college football behind Syracuse QB Kyle McCord and leads the country in passing TDs by one over Sanders.
Schoen and the Giants have done extensive work on Ward and Sanders already, and that will continue throughout the pre-draft evaluation process over the next four months for the entire league.
Asked directly about the Giants' potential interest by NorthJersey.com in a recent interview, Ward said with a smile: "I just know if they get me, they're gonna get everything I have."
Sanders, 22, threw for 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns while only throwing eight interceptions. He also completed 74.2% of his pass attempts, the highest completion percentage in the country.
"When you study him, you see a player who's tough, who's poised, who's accurate. Those are three pretty important factors to start in the NFL," Dane Brugler of The Athletic told NorthJersey.com about Sanders. "One of my favorite things about him is, he doesn't put the ball in harm's way a lot. He will hold the ball and sometimes that turns out to be a negative, but in terms of turnover-worthy plays, he was among the lowest in all of college football this year. It's not a question of whether Sanders is a good quarterback, because he is, and that's what the tape says. I think he can be an NFL starter. But, if we're putting him under a Top 5 overall microscope, that's where it just gets a little bit more complicated."
Brugler believes teams will bet on Sanders' toughness and accuracy.
"He's 6-1, 207 with a B-level arm," Brugler said. "That's not saying he has a bad arm, it's just not A level. Plenty of successful NFL quarterbacks have B-level arms. Again, with the way he likes to play, when the pocket movements, sometimes it looks good and other times it's off. I think he's a starting quarterback in the NFL, for sure, but there are expectations for a Top 5 quarterback, and he has to meet them."
As for Ward, his physical tools are there. It's the blessing and curse that comes with his confidence of being able to make any play, any throw and anywhere on the field.
"In terms of traits, Ward has a whip for an arm, quick set-up, quick release. Love his elusiveness in the pocket. NFL scouts think really highly of him as a person - the leader, the confidence, steady heartbeat," Brugler said. "He doesn't get too high, too low, that kind of thing, so, when things are on schedule, Ward is really productive. When things get off schedule, that's when things can go sideways at times. He's a very loose passer and that allows him to improvise and create some amazing plays. But it also leads to some unnecessary sacks and turnover-worthy throws."
When the Raiders beat the Jaguars on Sunday night, allowing the Giants to take over the No. 1 spot, Sanders sent out a one-word message on social media that, without further explanation, may or may not have had anything to do with his potential destination in the pros.
A means to a legendary end? At least that feels possible for the Giants right now if they can land their quarterback of the future because of how the 100th campaign in franchise history turned out.