With the veteran quarterback combination of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston now situated in East Rutherford for the 2025 season, the next thing everyone wants to know about the New York Giants is if they are still in it for a young passing prospect at the top of the draft board.
For most of the offseason, the addition of the veteran quarterbacks was a no-brainer for the beleaguered franchise. The Giants only had Tommy DeVito in their ranks for next season.
They needed to procure two more options, ideally one being a win-now pro and the other a highly ranked novice who could offer stability to the offense down the line.
Now that general manager Joe Schoen has acquired those aforementioned veterans to serve as both the starter and backup, the likelihood of them tabbing a third arm in the same offseason isn’t as guaranteed.
Meanwhile, the Giants are still in a tough spot, given they need to show progress on the field while not dismissing the future beyond the 2025 campaign. Their recent moves at least take the pressure off them to force the pick of a gunslinger at No. 3 if they don’t love one.
Instead, the Giants can turn over to one of the defensive studs sitting at the top of the board to further fortify their roster for immediate success. That is precisely what they do in the latest post-free agency mock draft by Owain Jones of Pro Football Network, except with a little caveat that helps them land on the best available player.
The new mock starts with the top two gunslingers, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, going No. 1 and 2 to the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, respectively. It then follows with New York having their choice of Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter and leaning on the coveted edge rusher with the third pick.“The New York Giants added Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson as the final free agent quarterback dominoes fell. It was vital that they didn’t go into April’s draft locking themselves into a quarterback selection in case this exact scenario plays out and quarterbacks go Nos. 1 and 2,” Jones said.
“Abdul Carter is the top prospect on many big boards. The Penn State edge rusher offers elite athleticism, underrated physicality, and an overwhelming arsenal of pass-rush moves.”
Having Ward go first in this mock isn’t a surprise, as the Titans’ reported interest in the Miami product has jumped after watching his Pro Day and setting up a private workout and throwing session with him during their top 30 visits in the next few weeks.
The Giants likely realize their chances of selecting the potential first pick are growing slim to none, and this was one of the main factors in pushing to sign Wilson to serve as the preemptive starter for Brian Daboll this season. It doesn’t mean they won’t keep tabs on Sanders’ status heading into the draft, but that doesn’t apply in this case, as the Browns snatch him as a cheap replacement for Deshaun Watson.
The feeling around the Giants’ intrigue with the Colorado quarterback has seemingly been mixed. Despite following him all offseason, it doesn’t sound like they totally view him as the franchise guy and could elect to pass on forcing a rookie arm early with two experienced options already at their disposal.
The choice of Carter over the dual-threat player in Hunter is a close one in the present goal of making a roster capable of winning football games for the regime. It can also have a significant yet valuable impact on the front office's decision on one future roster in the next several months.
If the Giants can land the pass-rushing phenom, it gives them a potential replacement option if Kayvon Thibodeaux, entering the final year of his rookie contract, doesn’t sign an extension and becomes trade bait in the middle of the 2025 season.
The Giants are expected to exercise the option year in Thibodeaux’s rookie deal regardless of whether they plan to draft Carter.
