Getty Denver Broncos backup quarterback Zach Wilson.
Few teams in the NFL are staring down a massive rebuild like the New York Giants have on their hands once the 2024 NFL regular season comes to a merciful end.
With the Giants firmly in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft — one they would presumably use on a quarterback — there’s also the understanding that none of the 3 quarterbacks currently on the roster in Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito and former Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock will likely be on the roster in 2025.
That means the Giants will either need a temporary starting quarterback to serve as a place filler or a quarterback to serve as that top pick’s backup if they show they have what it takes to start right away — the latter being the more likely scenario.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks current Broncos third-string quarterback and former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson might be one of the players the Giants could turn to in order to fill that role for them in 2025.
The Giants have benched Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in 2019, in favor of DeVito in a cost-saving move after starting the season 2-8.
“There’s a non-zero chance that Devito and/or Lock show enough down the stretch this season to secure a bridge role in 2025,” Knox wrote. “The Giants could also take a flier on a failed first-round pick like Zach Wilson, Mac Jones or Trey Lance. Trading for Carolina’s Bryce Young might also be an option, though the Panthers have appeared re-committed to the 2023 first overall pick in recent weeks.”
Wilson Managed to Escape Being Traded Twice
While Wilson has yet to take a snap or even be on the active roster for the Broncos in 2024 — he’s been the emergency third quarterback for every game — he was subject of trade rumors before the deadline but stayed put on the Broncos’ roster.
The Giants were even one of the teams floated as being a possible destination for Wilson before the trade deadline — he’s in the final season of the 4-year, $35.1 million contract he signed with the New York Jets after they drafted him in 2021.
The Broncos traded a sixth round pick in exchange for Wilson and a seventh round pick in April 2024 and the former BYU star responded by breathing life back into his career, where he’s been looked at as a reliable option behind starter Bo Nix and another veteran backup in Jarrett Stidham.
No Clear-Cut Favorite From Elite College QBs
One question that won’t be answered for quite some time is exactly who Wilson would potentially be playing behind with the Giants.
While there’s not a clear-cut pick right now, a group of college quarterbacks including Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Miami’s Cam Ward and Texas’ Quinn Ewers all seem to be in the mix.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid thinks Ward would be the best fit for the Giants and head coach Brian Daboll, where he could also be paired with wide receiver Malik Nabers, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft who has shown flashes of greatness as a rookie.
“Ward is an electric playmaker who can create and make all the throws,” Reid wrote. “Daboll could help him develop over time and limit his decision-making mistakes.”
