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Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) and head coach Deion Sanders and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) and social media producer Deion Sanders Jr. following the win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

New Mock Draft Sees Giants Make Bold Move

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Stephen Lebitsch | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 10:14 AM ET

No matter what the New York Giants try to say about the direction the organization is heading when it comes to the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they just can’t convince the numerous draft minds to take them out of the realm of selecting a rookie quarterback.

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll were both pretty coy about the few prospects most projected to them, including Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, while attending the NFL’s annual owners' meetings last week.

Schoen, who has been facing more pressure than he ever has to get the Giants roster right this offseason, first through free agency and now the draft, has debunked the idea that they need to find their franchise gunslinger in this class and told reporters the team feels like they are in an open position for all options at No. 3.

Daboll was much more reserved on the matter, signaling that the front office and coaching staff might not think the world of any quarterbacks and won’t look to hedge their future on one in the first round.

The Giants leaders’ messaging isn’t fully convincing NFL Draft writer Brendan Donahue of Sharp Football Analysis. He recently released his annual 2025 mock draft for the first night of the event, and within it, he has New York making an unforeseen move in the first 32 selections.

Donahue projects the Giants to stay at No. 3 and select Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter after Tennessee and Cleveland chose quarterback Cam Ward and edge rusher Abdul Carter, respectively.

Then, as the first round gets to the back half of the order, he has the Giants jumping back into the mix via a bold trade with the Denver Broncos and taking Sanders at No. 20, one pick before the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are becoming a sneaky team in need of a rookie arm.

“Now that the Giants have signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, it seems like they believe there’s a good chance both quarterbacks go ahead of them,” Donahue said. “Or they were never interested in taking a quarterback in this spot.

“GM Joe Schoen said, ‘We’re going to look for the best player available that can help us win games in 2025,’ which would point to Hunter being the pick, whether at wide receiver, corner, or both.”

A similar scenario to Donahue’s played out in my seven-round mock draft, but if the Giants truly are in the place of finding the best player available to right the ship in the 2025 season, it makes more sense to tap a guy like Hunter at the third spot.

The Giants have already made some significant free-agent moves in the secondary with the signings of cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland, who are expected to be starters this fall.

Adding Hunter could help fill in the other side of the perimeter equation, especially given how Deonte Banks and Cor’Dale Flott have not fully established themselves in their recent snap load.

Daboll’s comments at the owners meeting also alluded to the idea that the Giants see potential in their offense. The expectation should be for his main impact to come on the defensive end, but the Giants could squeeze the Heisman winner into select schemes and take advantage of his gifted hands and athleticism in space.

Hunter led all Colorado playmakers in catches of 20+ air yards, notching 13 for 374 yards and five touchdowns in 2024 to go along with his 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns of total offensive production.

The Giants could use him to help stretch the field while opening up passing lanes across the middle to targets like Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson.

Meanwhile, if the Giants see a chance to shoot back into the first round and secure their franchise quarterback at a pick with less premium value, it’ll be hard to find one better than their trade with the Broncos.

The Giants were able to jump above the Steelers at pick 21, choosing Sanders before he could fall to Pittsburgh, giving up no future first-round picks in the process.

The Steelers have been emerging into the rookie quarterback market in the weeks before the draft as they still don’t have a resolution with free agent Aaron Rodgers to become the team’s next starting quarterback.

The two sides reportedly have contract parameters in place, but other elements holding up the deal could pressure the Steelers into needing to pursue Sanders or another prospect at the bottom of the first round.

New York prevents that possibility, but the Steelers still land a quality prospect in Jaxon Dart at No. 21. on the other hand, the Giants pair Sanders with a player he spent a few years resurrecting two college programs at Jackson State and Colorado.

The focus is on Russell Wilson being the starter for the foreseeable future, but the two picks could set up the team with an offensive backbone for years to come. That’s the next most important offseason goal for Schoen and company: find the leaders who will build the winning culture long beyond what the Giants hope to salvage this year, so the competitive flare a la 2022 doesn’t last for a fleeting moment.

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