EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- When the New York Giants play Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX), they'll be looking across the field at rookie Michael Penix Jr. He represents change for the Atlanta Falcons as the newly named starting quarterback -- a hope that something will be different for the Falcons' stumbling offense as they try to sneak into the playoffs.

This is what the Giants are looking for next season. They will almost certainly have a new starting quarterback (whether it be a veteran or someone in the draft) come Week 1 to jump-start an offense that is 32nd in points per game at 14.9.

Drew Lock, this week's starter against the Falcons, along with Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle are set to become free agents. DeVito has the best chance of returning as an exclusive rights free agent, depending on who is making the decisions.

Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward are expected to be the top collegiate QB options. Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jameis Winston are among the most notable veteran quarterbacks who could be available.

Sanders seems to be the most likely option should New York (currently 2-12) finish with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Giants enter this week with a 37% chance at the top pick, according to ESPN Analytics. 

"Giants are not going to give up their pick," Deion Sanders, Colorado's coach and Shedeur's father, insisted to ''The Pacman Jones Show'' this week on what might happen if New York lands atop the draft order. "They're not going to give up their pick. The Giants are not giving up that pick. I know that for a fact.

"Shedeur is going to be the No. 1 pick."

That wouldn't be all that surprising, especially if general manager Joe Schoen lasts through the season. Schoen has been to Colorado on multiple occasions this season.

The plan for the Giants all along this season was to see if quarterback Daniel Jones would bounce back after last year and improve on the promise he flashed during the 2022 campaign. That didn't happen. Jones, the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL draft, was not only benched, but was later released. 

The Giants' fallback -- if it didn't work out with Jones -- was always to look for a solution in the draft, multiple sources have told ESPN throughout the year. It's hardly a surprise they have heavily scouted at the University of Miami and spent an inordinate amount of time in Boulder and at Colorado games. Most recently, Schoen, assistant GM Brandon Brown, director of player personnel Tim McDonnell and special assistant to the GM Jessie Armstead were at a Colorado practice late last month.

Of course, there is a long way to go until the draft. A lot can happen, including changes with the Giants coach and front office. Nothing can completely be taken off the table with the team staring a potential 2-14 season in the face. If Schoen were let go, that could change the team's plans depending on his successor. 

Multiple sources close to Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado program believe his preference would be to land in Las Vegas. The Raiders and Giants are currently tied with the worst record in the NFL.

Still, nothing that has occurred recently has slowed the hype that Sanders could end up as the Giants' quarterback. He was throwing a Giants football in the streets of Manhattan with rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers while in town this weekend. 

 

"You can tell he's got everything he needs to be a pro," said Giants defensive back Isaiah Simmons, who was with Nabers when they bumped into Sanders at a jewelry store in New York. "Personally, I think he's a guy that can come here and really transform things. Or anywhere he goes he's a very, very valuable piece. Kind of like a Jayden Daniels effect. I can see something like that happening with Shedeur as well."

Ward, who was a 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist, appears to be a good option if the Giants can't land Sanders. But even if they go in that direction, a veteran/bridge quarterback seems likely as well.

The veteran options for the Giants perhaps grew this week when Cousins was benched in favor of Penix, who Schoen bypassed in the draft to take Nabers. The Falcons ultimately selected Penix with the eighth pick.

This puts Cousins' future in limbo. He is set to cost $27.5 million next year and is in control of his future with a no-trade clause in his contract. Cousins would seem to make more sense if the Giants don't draft a quarterback with a top pick.

Meanwhile, Darnold is likely to be the most coveted free agent quarterback off a strong season with the Vikings. He seems destined to do better than a spot as a bridge or stopgap starter, which could be what the Giants will need if they draft a quarterback at the top of the draft.

Quarterbacks such as Fields, Garoppolo and Winston -- who have each started plenty of games in the league -- better fit the Giants' apparent needs if their focus is on the draft. They are veterans who could be searching for any avenue to prove themselves with the potential to start games, even if it's only for a few weeks early in the season.

Either way, it's clear the Giants' quarterback room will look very different next season, providing hope their offensive woes can actually get fixed.