The New York Giants are in the midst of a critical offseason. After finishing with a 3-14 record in 2024, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll find themselves standing on thin ice. They did well in free agency to upgrade the roster, but they must prepare to knock the upcoming NFL Draft out of the park.
With the NFL Draft around the corner, analysts and experts are putting out their final predictions for the event. ESPN’s Mel Kiper released his first two-round mock draft, using the latest rumors to fuel his selections. The Giants take an interesting path in Kiper’s mock draft.
Giants go BPA, land star pass-rusher in first round of Mel Kiper’s mock draft
The Giants have an interesting decision to make at the top of the draft order. Do they take the best quarterback or the best player available? Having signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, they don’t have to take a quarterback. However, neither of those veterans is a long-term solution, but a first-round rookie could be.
On the other hand, their roster might not be good enough to justify passing on a potentially generational talent in favor of a developmental quarterback prospect. Kiper seems to lean more toward this line of thinking as he has Big Blue taking the best prospect available, in this case being Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter:
“Neither Wilson nor Winston is a long-term answer,” Kiper wrote. “However, the additions mean the Giants can at least toy with passing on the quarterbacks in Round 1 in favor of one of the class’s top two prospects. Travis Hunter is off the board, but Carter would take this New York defense to new heights.”
Carter could step in and be an instant-impact player for the Giants’ defense. The 2024 All-American totaled 12.0 sacks and led the nation with 24.0 tackles for loss. He has rare explosiveness and athleticism for his position, likening him to fellow Penn State alum Micah Parsons.
“I see elite traits on the tape,” Kiper explained to further justify the selection. “And considering the Giants have holes all over their roster, they might opt for the best player on the board. They’d have something with Carter, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence II up front.”
The Giants’ roster needs reinforcements following a 3-14 finish in 2024. Adding Carter to the mix with Burns, Thibodeaux, and Lawrence could give them one of the best defensive lines in the NFL on paper. If Schoen is comfortable passing on a quarterback, Carter would be an exciting selection.
Giants take developmental Alabama quarterback in Round 2
If the Giants pass on a quarterback in the first round, the position would likely remain a priority entering the second round. Although the caliber of prospects will likely not be as high quality on Day 2, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a high-upside developmental prospect for New York to consider.
In this case, that quarterback is Alabama’s Jalen Milroe — a rare athlete at the quarterback position who reportedly ran an unofficial 4.37s 40-yard dash at his pro day. Kiper had the Giants taking Milroe 34th overall in his mock draft:
“After the Giants passed on Shedeur Sanders in Round 1, they could come back to the quarterbacks on Day 2,” Kiper explained. “There is some love for Milroe in NFL circles right now, and he could fit well in New York. He’d have the chance to learn behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, developing his pre-snap reads and improving his short-to-intermediate accuracy. Milroe throws a great deep ball and can change a game with his legs. He ran for 20 scores in 2024.”
Milroe certainly needs some time to develop his passing skills, as his accuracy and ability to process the field leave plenty to be desired. However, he has physical traits that can’t be taught. Perhaps Daboll could teach him how to improve his accuracy and processing, as he did with Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, who was also seen as a raw talent coming out of college.
Drafting Milroe would give the Giants a potential long-term solution at quarterback. They would be in no hurry to get him on the field and could be patient developing Milroe behind the likes of Wilson and Winston this season. Adding an immediate-impact prospect like Carter in Round 1 and a long-term developmental quarterback in Round 2 might be the ideal scenario for the Giants.
