This wouldn't be the time that the Panthers and Giants converge on a major deal centered on a pass rusher. The two teams struck a blockbuster trade last spring, when Carolina traded away two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns to New York.

As Albert Breer of SI.com reported Monday: "I've had more than one person say to me that if Sanders goes in the first round, it'll be because an owner got involved. That, of course, is a bit of a guess from a few guys who are clued into how Sanders is viewed. But it’s also a bit of a window into the way evaluators are looking at the Colorado star."

One NFL insider reports that things have become "contentious" inside the New York Giants' draft room regarding QB Shedeur Sanders.