Mock draft: Could the Giants pass on a top quarterback?

The New York Giants are still projected to get the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft — though their path to that pick is narrowing.

It’s been a bit since our last mock draft and I wanted to explore a scenario in which the Giants trade back. We know that the Giants have already done significant work on the top quarterbacks in the draft, and have reportedly visited both Colorado and Miami to watch Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward in practice.

It’s possible that after all that work they don’t love either quarterback. But the Giants absolutely need to address the quarterback position this year. Assuming Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll stick around, they won’t survive punting on quarterback again.

I also keep in mind a bit of wisdom from Mark Schofield following the 2021-2022 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. That game saw three lead changes in the final 1:03 of the game, and neigh-superhuman performances from both Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

Schofield said:

In that game, fans were treated to a showcase event from two of the league’s best young passers, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. As those two quarterbacks dazzled with their athleticism, arm talent and ability to create on- or off-structure, fans of the other 30 teams started to ask themselves this simple question:

Does our team have a quarterback who can do that? And if not, do we need one?

We’re living through a golden age of quarterbacking in the NFL. Even beyond Mahomes and Allen, the league boasts passers like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and C.J. Stroud.

Your team is only as good as your quarterback allows you to be. And if your team doesn’t have a mutant at quarterback, it’s very difficult to acquire, and keep, enough talent to be truly competitive. Just ask the 49ers and Lions, who have very good quarterbacks paired with two of the best rosters in the NFL yet are still looking up at the teams with elite passers.

So with all that in mind, I decided to see what a trade back could yield.

Round 1 (No. 7) – Jalen Milroe, QB,

I got trade offers from the Jets and Browns for the first overall pick. I ultimately took the offer from the Browns, who selected Shedeur Sanders with the first overall pick. Cam Ward was still on the board for this pick, but I’m assuming he’s selected in the first five picks.

Even so, Milroe offers intriguing upside. He’s very much a “boom-bust” prospect, but he has (easily) the strongest arm in this class and is also the best athlete of any of the quarterback prospects. Milroe has been described as Jalen Hurts on rocket fuel, and I can’t argue with that. Not only is he a powerful runner, but he also (reportedly) has 4.3 speed.

I do believe that the Giants want to run an explosive vertical offense, but have had to coach to their quarterbacks first.

If so, Milroe is utterly unafraid to throw downfield, and his average depth of target was 10.1 yards downfield. Likewise, he great Big Time Throw rate (5.4 percent), and has reduced his pressure to sack rate.

If the Giants want a passer who offers the possibility of playing up to the level we’ve seen from the AFC quarterbacks, Milroe could be their best bet. However, he’d need likely need to sit and learn. So the Giants would also need a bridge quarterback. Ideally I’d look at a player like Joe Flacco or prying Mitchell Trubisky out of Buffalo.

Round 2 (No. 33) – Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama

I didn’t intend to draft two Alabama players with my first two picks, but it worked out that way. Booker is the 20th ranked player on PFN’s board, so the value is certainly there. There’s also an added bonus that he’s already familiar with Milroe and could help the rest of the line with Milroe’s tendencies.

Booker is a massive guard with experience at tackle. And while he doesn’t have the feet to play tackle at the NFL level, they’re certainly good enough for guard. Greg Van Roten isn’t a long-term answer at right guard, and Booker could fit nicely next to Evan Neal.

Neal, by the way, has shown definite improvement over the last month. I’m comfortable giving him another year to show that he can continue to develop with good health and coaching.

Round 2 (No. 38) – Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona

Cor’Dale Flott was playing well before he was injured, so adding another outside corner might not be necessary. However, Davis does offer rare length and good movement skills at 6-foot-4. Also, improving depth in the secondary is always a good idea.

Davis is at his best in zone and off-man coverage, and excels in using his length to disrupt at the catch point. Davis has 21 passes defensed over the last two season, and should fit in most modern coverage schemes.

Round 3 (No. 65) – Dontay Corleone, iDL, Cincinnati.

The Giants definitely need to add another defensive tackle next to Dexter Lawrence. Jordon Riley, Elijah Chatman, and Elijah Garcia have played well — great, considering their draft status — in Lawrence’s absence. However, the Giants probably wouldn’t want to rely on them if the didn’t have to do so.

Corleone is a stout lineman at 6-foot-2, 315 pounds. He has obvious play strength and natural leverage. But his stocky physique belies surprising quickness and agility. He can either take on double teams or attack individual gaps as a pass rusher.

Round 3 (No. 69) – Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State

I don’t know at this point of Darius Slayton will be a Giant in 2025. The team has the money to keep him, but he might decide a change of scenery is best.

If so, Royals is a potential insurance policy. He has solid size at 6-foot, 205 pounds with good route running and the athleticism to threaten all levels of the defense. Royals has soft hands and gold ball skills, as well as the body control to maximize his catch radius or haul in tough catches in close quarters.

Round 3 (No. 93) — S Rod Moore, Michigan

Moore tore his ACL back in March of 2024, and missed his senior season as a result. So he may opt to go back to school for another year.

If he does enter the draft, Moore is an athletic, instinctive, and productive safety. He had 6 interceptions and 6 passes defensed over 2022 and 2023. Perhaps more impressively, Moore was voted a team captain for 2024 despite his injury.

Safety is also a low-key need for the Giants. Dane Belton is entering the final year of his rookie contract, while Jason Pinnock will be a free agent after 2024.

Round 4 (No. 102) – Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma

Stutsman may look like an old-school downhill thumper at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, but he’s a very versatile linebacker. He’s able to play in space, rush the passer, and play downhill against the run. Stutsman is also able to play both inside and out.

The Giants should extend Micah McFadden this off-season. But even with him in the fold long term, Stutsman would give them great depth, another leader, and a strong presence in heavy packages.

Round 4 (No. 134) – Carson Beck, QB, Georgia

I didn’t like Beck’s tape in 2023 and he’s largely disappointed in 2024. But even so, I wasn’t expecting him to be here, and he was far and away the BPA.

Other than the opportunity of cost of not drafting at another position, there’s little downside to taking him as a fourth-round comp pick. In this case, Beck likely provides a clear upgrade at backup quarterback. He also offers a potential insurance policy for Milroe, as well as trade bait if he develops but Milroe becomes a franchise quarterback.

I said after the 2024 draft, when much of the media was questioning the Falcons’ decision to draft Michael Penix, that they understood the assignment. As Giants’ fans are learning, it doesn’t really matter what else you have if you don’t have a quarterback in place. Having a second you quarterback provides competition for Milroe, and also allows the Giants a second chance to be right at the most important position in sports.