The 2025 NFL Draft is approaching and the New York Giants have the third pick. This is a breakdown of their team needs and potential players that they could select in the Draft.
State of the Union
The New York Giants are in a tough spot as an organization. They took a chance on Daniel Jones as their franchise quarterback, but he was cut midway through last season. Partially due to the decision to pay Daniel Jones, the Giants let Saquon Barkley go. Barkley went on to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a Super Bowl with their divisional rivals. Despite these major organizational failures, the Giants have brought back Head Coach Brian Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen. Only time will tell if it’s the right call to maintain some stability or if they should try to start fresh a new era with a new quarterback, coach, and GM.
The Giants’ ownership still believes in Brian Daboll as their coach of the future. The Giants are ready to bring in their quarterback of the future, and they think Daboll is the man to develop that quarterback. However, there is an ongoing narrative that the Giants could opt for a franchise quarterback, specifically Matthew Stafford, and try to build up a roster that could support a postseason run with a veteran quarterback. So, there are two potential paths for the Giants heading into the draft. They hold the #3 pick, and the Browns are not expected to pick a quarterback at #2. So they will either get the first or second-choice quarterback in the draft or if they opt to go for the veteran quarterback, they can take the best player available.
Potential Departures
OG Greg Van Roten – The Giants signed Van Roten last offseason to add a veteran presence to the offensive line. Van Roten ended up having a really solid season for the Giants. New York could try to bring the veteran back to hold that same spot at guard next season.
S Jason Pinnock – Jason Pinnock has been a cost-effective safety for the Giants for the past several seasons. He isn’t a brilliant player, but he has solidly filled a role in the secondary for the Giants the past couple of years.
WR Darius Slayton – Darius Slayton has had an up-and-down Giants career. Slayton was drafted by the Giants in 2019 and has been a consistent contributor to their offense almost every season since. However, some Giants fans hoped he would progress even further as a receiver. Last season it was Malik Nabers who came in and became the clear top receiver for the Giants. The Giants could try to add another receiver in the draft or free agency as they move on from Slayton.
CB Adoree’ Jackson – The Giants signed Adoree’ Jackson in 2021, hoping he would be their top cornerback for years to come. However, Jackson had a slightly underwhelming three seasons with the Giants. Before the 2024-25 season, the Giants decided to sign Jackson to a one-year deal, hoping he could be the veteran presence in their secondary. However, after another disappointing season, the Giants are likely to move on from Jackson.
EDGE Azeez Ojulari – The Giants have a big decision to make with Ojulari. They drafted him in the second round in 2021 and his rookie deal is now up. Ojulari has been a solid player, with a 17-game average of 8.1 sacks. However, Ojulari is in that middle ground where he might want big money but not quite be worth it.
LB Isaiah Simmons – Isaiah Simmons has had his struggles in the NFL. He was a top prospect out of college but never lived up to expectations in Arizona. There were questions about whether he was a linebacker or a safety and whether he would be better as a pass-rusher or in coverage. Many believe he was misused in Arizona, so the Giants traded for him before the 2023-24 season. Simmons had a decent 2023 campaign, so the Giants signed him to a one-year deal to come back for 2024-25. However, Simmons has still failed to live up to the money that he wants to be paid, so it could be time for both parties to move on.
Team Needs
Quarterback – The obvious team need is a quarterback. After cutting Daniel Jones in a clear statement that they were moving on from that era, the Giants finished the season with Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. Neither of those guys are viable NFL starters in the first place. Even so, both of their contracts expired this offseason as well. The Giants have a completely empty quarterback room to fill. The only question is whether they try to draft their Week 1 starter or move for a quarterback on the open market.
Cornerback – The Giants are likely losing Adoree’ Jackson and Jason Pinnock in the secondary. They believed that Deonte Banks could turn into a #1 cornerback last season, and he failed to meet expectations. It could be time for the Giants to make an aggressive move to find a legit CB1.
Defensive Line – The Giants’ best defensive player is Dexter Lawrence. If they can add some other good pieces around Lawrence on the defensive line, they could actually have a strong unit to build their team around there. The Giants really struggled to defend the run last season and need to improve on the defensive line.
Wide Receiver – The Giants’ best offensive player is Malik Nabers. Nabers had a sensational rookie season and could be the future of the franchise. They also made a great pick at running back in Tyrone Tracy Jr. They will have those two offensive studs on cheap contracts for the next couple of seasons, and they can capitalize on that by adding another great receiver to go alongside Nabers. That will make it a great situation for a new quarterback to come into.
Potential Draft Picks
QB Shedeur Sanders – Shedeur Sanders seems to be the most likely pick for the Giants. Cam Ward is likely to go #1 to the Titans and then the Browns are not expected to go QB at #2. Sanders has a very high upside and is used to being in the spotlight because of the household he grew up in. It could be hard for the Giants to pass up on the potential that Sanders has, but he is by no means a “can’t miss” prospect. Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll’s jobs both ride on the next couple of seasons so they need to make the right choice at quarterback.
QB Cam Ward – There is still a chance that the Titans opt to not pick a quarterback at #1. Will Levis is clearly not the long-term answer for the Titans, but they do have him on a cheap rookie deal for two more seasons. They could elect to make 2025-26 another wash of a year and draft a quarterback in a later round who could potentially develop behind Levis and then try to attack in 2025-26. That would leave Cam Ward on the board for the Giants. Some prefer Shedeur Sanders, but Ward is the consensus top quarterback in the draft. If he’s available at #3, it’s hard to envision the Giants passing on him.
WR/CB Travis Hunter – Travis Hunter is coming off of a Heisman Trophy-winning season and is one of the most talented players in the draft. If the Giants decide to add a veteran quarterback rather than draft one, Hunter could be the perfect pick for them. It is still unclear whether Hunter will play cornerback, wide receiver or both in the NFL. Luckily, the Giants have a massive need at cornerback and would also love to add another stud receiver to play alongside Malik Nabers. The Giants could have an extremely versatile player on their hands to fill two positions of need if they take Hunter.
DL Mason Graham – The Giants are likely to try to improve their offense with the third pick but if they go defense, Mason Graham could be the pick. They need a good run-stopper who can also get after the quarterback. Graham fits that bill perfectly and would fit in great next to Dexter Lawrence. Graham and Lawrence would be a nightmare for opposing offensive lines. If they can improve on the defensive side of the ball, it would take a lot of pressure off of the offense.
