Did Justin Jefferson Take Shot at Giants' Russell Wilson?

The New York Giants were a side character in the biggest story of the 2025 NFL Draft. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders dropped past the Giants at No. 3, and then again at No. 25, when Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart became the future of the franchise.

Sanders dropped out of Round 1, then the entirety of Day 2. Every team in the league passed on him multiple times before the Cleveland Browns ended his fall in the fifth round. It was the most newsworthy fall in recent NFL Draft history, and it opens the door for Sanders to prove everyone wrong.

The league thinks he’s a mediocre talent with off-field headaches that make a heavy investment impossible. Even the Browns drafted quarterback Dillon Gabriel to insulate the room ahead of a Sanders selection.

After the NFL Draft, Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson was asked about Sanders’ slip, and Giants fans are saying the same thing about his comments.

“I think it’s crazy that he went; he dropped that far in the draft,” Sanders said. “I definitely don’t think he should have dropped that far, and just watching him from the previous seasons and seeing the different things he did at Colorado, I definitely think that he should have been drafted in that first, second round. I guess it’s just more fire for him, more chip on his shoulder that he could use going into the league.”

Sanders certainly had his share of fans during the draft cycle, and many expect him to eventually take over as the starter in Cleveland. When asked about where Sanders should have landed instead, Jefferson might have treaded toward controversy.

“I mean New York doesn’t really have a quarterback, Steelers, Cleveland definitely does need a quarterback also,” he said.

Giants fans took exception with the mention of New York, especially when aggregation accounts implied that he was taking a shot at Russell Wilson. However, it isn’t immediately clear that he was referring to the Giants, when the New York Jets also entered the NFL Draft without a franchise quarterback. They’ll be rolling with Justin Fields, who faced Jefferson multiple times during his time in the NFC North.

Jefferson could have been referring to the Jets. Fans could also lend Jefferson some lenience and assume he meant a long-term starter. Before taking Dart, New York didn’t have that, either.

Ultimately, there’s little need for Giants fans to have beef with the league’s best receiver, regardless of whether he isn’t fond of the team’s quarterback situation. And if they do take issue with Jefferson, they’ll have a chance to take it out on him from the stands when New York plays host to Minnesota in 2025.