Can Giants Find Dexter Lawrence Sidekick in Round 2?

Subsequently, the Giants try to pick a quarterback and fill a critical need in this two-round mock draft.

The following was made using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator.

Round 1, Pick 3: Miami Quarterback Cam Ward

For months, it seems like New York has telegraphed its preference for Sanders over Ward. The visits, the whispers, and the pre-draft meetings are all fueling speculation that could very well be useless if the Tennessee Titans take Colorado’s quarterback.

They do in this mock draft, and with Hunter off the board, the Giants turn to the sensible option of their (hypothetical) QB2 in Ward.

This might prove to be a lucky stroke of football fate. Ward, for all his flaws and bad habits on the field, is incredibly talented. He’s more mobile than Sanders and his arm talent is comfortably among the second-tier of NFL arms. Sanders, on a good day, can only claim to be average in this regard.

Ward can make off-platform throws and out-of-structure explosives with ease, tasking Brian Daboll with reining his skill set in enough within structure to find success. It wouldn’t be the first time the second quarterback off the board proved the team that passed on him wrong.

Round 2, Pick 34: Mississippi Defensive Tackle Walter Nolen

New York’s biggest need on defense is at corner, where Deonte Banks struggled and the Giants employed more boundary corners than they had wins in 2024. However, the board falls much friendlier at defensive tackle, where the 2025 class is loaded.

One such prospect is Nolen, who profiles as the archetypical pass-first tackle to complement Dexter Lawrence’s frame. He’s not the cleanest prospect, but if he makes good on his pass-rushing potential, the Giants would quickly find themselves with one of the most feared defensive lines in the country.

Lawrence is unblockable with just two hands on his chest. A tackle that can take advantage of those double-teams, paired with edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, is a recipe for success. It would also alleviate the burden on the secondary, allowing general manager Joe Schoen to divert less resources of pivot to free agency for a comfortable answer.