The New York Giants need a quarterback–that much isn’t breaking news or something that people will disagree with.
The question, though, is whether the Giants will also draft one of Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders at No. 3 in addition to landing a veteran bridge signal caller, which they are fully expected to do during free agency.
That’s where opinions vary.
If the sources of Jeff Howe of The Athletic are to be believed, “it’s much too dicey to take a QB in the top five this year, especially with Texas’ Arch Manning and a host of other promising prospects eligible for the 2026 class.”
One of Howe’s sources, speaking specifically of the Giants, added, “If the Giants select (the wrong QB), it could set the franchise back years.”
So, should the Giants punt on a quarterback in this draft class and roll with a bridge option? That’s one possibility, though it would not only be a long shot to happen, but it would also further upset an already irate fan base that is rightfully sick of mostly losing seasons.
In a super bold prediction, we propose that the Giants get their franchise quarterback through not one but two draft-day trades contingent on Ward and Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter being off the board when the Giants go on the clock.
In that scenario, common sense would warrant the Giants not getting cute and just selecting Sanders at No. 3. But what if their grades on Sanders match those of NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, who has Sanders ranked No. 11 overall?
In that instance, perhaps the Giants might see if the Las Vegas Raiders, who in The Athletic’s most recent mock draft is paired with Sanders should he fall to No. 6, are interested in swapping spots with them in the first round.
That, of course, would be handing Sanders over to the Raiders. Still, in return, the Giants could conceivably get picks six and 68 (third round, where the Raiders have picks 68 and 73, the 73rd pick having been acquired in the trade with the Jets for receiver Davante Adams), and Las Vegas’s 2026 first-round pick.
If the Raiders were to balk at throwing in their first-round pick in 2026, then the deal doesn’t happen. But if the Raiders are desperate enough to want Sanders to where they’re willing to give the Giants two first-round picks, then the move would seem a no-brainer.
So, what about the Giants and their quarterback needs? What would they do if they were to move down to No. 6?
There are a couple of things to consider here. First, the Giants are likely to sign a veteran bridge quarterback with a history of having won some games in the league (think Andy Dalton or Jimmy Garropolo) rather than a young veteran with a lot of upside (think Justin Fields) to a three-year deal with an out after two years.
The idea is to not only have a quarterback on the roster in case the draft takes an unexpected turn but also to have someone who can keep the seat warm should the Giants draft a rookie this year so that they don’t have to rush the youngster into the starting lineup until he's ready, the approach they took when they acquired Eli Manning in a trade with the then-San Diego Chargers in 2004.
If the Giants skip on drafting a quarterback this year and prefer to wait until 2026, when the class is a little deeper in talent, they will have a veteran on board for 2026 as well. If they delay selecting a franchise quarterback–again, unlikely, but a possibility–they will leave themselves with nothing.
Continuing the bold proposal for the Giants, who after such a trade would pick sixth, they would still be assured of getting premium talent from a cluster that could end up including Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell, Tennessee edge James Pearce, Jr., and Marshall edge Mike Green.
With the added draft capital, the Giants could then see if a team at the bottom of the first round that already has a solid quarterback situation might be willing to trade out in exchange for the Giants’ second-round pick (No. 34) and one of their third-round picks (either No. 65 or No. 68, the latter pick being the one they will have acquired from the Raiders in this hypothetical trade).
Among the possible trade targets in the bottom of the first round are the Chargers (No. 22), Packers (No. 23), Texans (No. 25), Ravens (No. 27), Detroit (No. 28), and Buffalo (No. 30).
Assuming the Giants pull off such a trade, they can select a quarterback from the next cluster of signal callers, which includes Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart.
The bottom line is that this proposal carries a high risk. There are no guarantees that any of the teams mentioned as a possible trade partner will want to move out of their original spot. And with general manager Joe Schoen needing to hit on this next draft class to fix what has ailing the franchise, he can ill-afford to make a mistake.
And yes, the simple approach of staying put and taking a quarterback might be the smartest if the value matches the need. But as the unnamed executive told Howe, if the Giants miss on the quarterback, regardless of where they pick, this team is in for more bad times in 2025 and possibly beyond.
