The 2025 NFL Draft is still three-plus months away, but the evaluation period kicks into high gear now.
The college season has ended. For the New York Giants, the NFL season has been over for weeks.
They are currently sitting with the No. 3 pick, and we know general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll are coming back.
There are needs up and down the roster every year, some more glaring than others as the Giants look to shake the criticism and underachieving play that was prevalent during their 3-14 campaign.
Let’s break out the crystal ball – with the festivities in Green Bay set to begin in 99 days on April 24 – and analyze what we know about the prospects who should be in play for the Giants, who are seeking an impact player at a position of need to be a jolt to a team – and for a front office and coaching staff – that absolutely must have one.
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Ward is believed to have the higher ceiling in the debate over whether he or Shedeur Sanders should be the first QB taken. His arm strength, accuracy and elusiveness provide the center piece of Ward’s game. Right now, the question is whether the Titans or the Browns, at Nos. 1 and 2 and with a need for a quarterback, see things the same way.
He’s a bit of a project, but his traits are intriguing, especially with Daboll to develop him. The Giants were there in person to watch Ward for a half in the Pop-Tarts Bowl last month (Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell) and he was impressive. Long way to go in this evaluation, but there is enough in his game to like and roll the dice on.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders, is a polarizing prospect at the moment. Draft analysts have suggested he has the highest floor of the options available. The 22-year-old threw for more than 4,100 yards and 37 touchdowns while only throwing 10 interceptions. He also completed 74% of his pass attempts, the highest completion percentage in the country.
“When you study him, you see a player who’s tough, who’s poised, who’s accurate. Those are three pretty important factors to start in the NFL,” Dane Brugler of The Athletic told NorthJersey.com about Sanders. If you judge Sanders off his final college game in the Alamo Bowl, you might downgrade him – but that’s not how this should work.
Throughout the evaluation process to this point, Sanders just feels like the most probable of selections for the Giants. They’re not on the clock just yet, however.
Abdul Carter, LB, Penn State
The Giants passed on the chance to select Micah Parsons back in 2021, so you’ll be hearing plenty of dots connecting to the prospect from Penn State being tabbed as Parsons 2.0.
That’s not necessarily fair to Carter, a talented pass rusher who has played at off-ball linebacker, on the edge and at defensive end. Will Carter’s draft grade ultimately compare to that of Texans star Will Anderson when he was coming out of Alabama? If so, this would be a no-brainer if the quarterbacks are off the board for the Giants, even with their commitment to Brian Burns and the expectation that they will also pick up the fifth-year option for Kayvon Thibodeaux.
On a team that has work to do, building out a feared pass rush may seem like duplication, but that could be a significant strength.
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
In theory, based on performance during his Heisman Trophy-winning season this past fall, Hunter will arrive in the NFL as a “two for one” player with a chance to make an impact at cornerback AND wide receiver. In practicality, that’s a lot to ask. So the questions become: is Hunter the best corner OR the best receiver in this class? If the answer is yes, then he is a tremendous pick as the first non-QB off the board.
If Hunter is a wide receiver first, he’s not the right pick for the Giants. If he is a corner first, and he’s tops at the position, it’s a different story. There will be debate if he truly is the best, which brings us to the next prospect on this list…
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
If this were last season when Michigan rolled through college football to their national title, Johnson would have been a slam dunk contender for first non-QB chosen. He’s a potential lockdown corner in every sense, drawing comparisons to Broncos stud Patrick Surtain II if he reaches his ceiling, and a foot injury limited his availability this past season.
Provided Johnson’s medicals check out and he performs well, either at his Pro Day or the Combine, he’ll push Hunter as the top DB on the board with size (6-2, 202) and elite level skills. We could be looking at a Derek Stingley/Sauce Gardner debate as in 2022 with Hunter and Johnson, provided Johnson can close a considerable gap coming off this past season.
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
The Giants would benefit greatly from adding an impact player next to Dexter Lawrence on the interior and Graham offers scheme versatility up front.
The 6-foot-3, 320-pounder is a technically sound player who can anchor a unit on his own. Together? Man, renowned defensive line coach Andre Patterson has never coached a player drafted in the first round when he was on that team’s staff – what could he and assistant Bryan Cox do with Lawrence and Graham?
