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Giants’ perfect 2025 NFL Draft fit
Image credit: ClutchPoints

The New York Giants are one of the most important teams in the NFL, but they have struggled to win games for far too long now. The future of the team comes down to the decision they make in the 2025 NFL Draft, as they can get a franchise player with their third pick. The Giants are picking near the top of the draft because they are one of the worst teams in the league, meaning they have plenty of holes on their roster. Which holes are their biggest ahead of the draft, though, and which prospect perfectly fits what the team needs?

Giants’ positional needs

The Giants have holes all over their roster. The team’s defense was atrocious in 2024, evidenced by the 24.4 points that they allowed per game. Somehow, the offense was even worse, though. New York ranked 31st in scoring with 16.1 points per game. The team is weak all across the offense.

The offensive line has been a problem for the better part of a decade now. The team has frequently addressed the trenches in the draft, but Andrew Thomas is the only player up front who has emerged as a star. Even he is coming off of a serious lisfranc injury that prematurely ended his 2024 season. Even if Thomas returns to form, the Giants could still use upgrades at the other tackle spot and along the interior of the offensive line.

Offensive line moves aren’t flashy, but they are necessary. If Giants fans want more of a splash, there are plenty of skill positions the team is thin at. Malik Nabers fixed a lot of the issues in the receiver room, but the team still has Theo Johnson starting at tight end and Tyrone Tracy starting at running back.

The Giants are desperate for more playmakers, and their suspect depth at running back looks really bad when considering that the team let Saquon Barkley walk in free agency. After joining the Philadelphia Eagles, Barkley would go on to run for 2,000 yards in one of the best individual running back seasons ever.

There is nothing the Giants can do about Barkley’s departure now, so they must try and find his replacement. Tracy showed flashes last year, but he looks like more of a role player than a star. More so than any other position, though, the Giants need to figure out the quarterback position.

Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston are the players atop the depth chart right now. Wilson’s best days are long gone, illustrated by his underwhelming performances with the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers since he left the Seattle Seahawks. Winston is a fan-favorite and an entertaining gunslinger, but he is best in reserve duty at this point, and his inconsistency makes it hard to trust him.

The quarterback position is the most important in football, and the Giants don’t have a great short-term or long-term answer there. They need to find their quarterback of the future in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Giants’ perfect 2025 NFL Draft fit

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) passes the ball in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Franchise quarterbacks are tough to find without an early draft pick. They rarely hit the open market of free agency or are moved via trade because when teams find an elite quarterback, they hold on to them. Additionally, because the position is so important, great quarterbacks are rarely drafted late.

The Giants have the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but this is somewhat of a two-quarterback class, so the team needs to hope one of Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders won’t be selected inside of the top two before they pick. As of now, it looks like Ward is the Tennessee Titans’ likely selection at pick one. The Cleveland Browns don’t have a clear-cut franchise quarterback, so they could opt for Sanders with pick two. However, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter have both been rumored to the team.

If Sanders falls to pick three, then the Giants need to scoop him up. Sanders’ Colorado team was one of the most hyped-up and heavily showcased programs in college football history. With his dad being Deion Sanders, the younger Sanders has always been in the spotlight, and he knows how to handle himself both on the field and with the media.

Considering the Giants have arguably the most ruthless media and demanding fanbase in the NFL, having someone like Sanders, who can handle himself better than most youngsters, will be key. Ultimately, the team would draft Sanders for what he can do on the football field, though.

Sanders threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns during his senior season. He can throw to all three levels of the football field with accuracy, and he could be the piece New York has been missing since Eli Manning retired/lost his edge. It isn’t a guarantee that Sanders will be available at pick three, but if he is, then he is a must-select prospect for New York.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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