NY Giants mock draft: We make every Big Blue pick as 2025 NFL Draft draws near

Each passing day brings another potential wrinkle to what the New York Giants might do.

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have faced an offseason of decisions that will speak to the urgency of turning the franchise into a winner again. That comes with the obvious pressure under which everyone will be operating as they enter a pivotal fourth season in control of Big Blue.

The Giants’ brass has to sell a plan to ownership, and for Schoen and Daboll, they also need to win. How much do they have to win? No one’s inside the head of John Mara, so don’t pretend like we know that answer.

But for Schoen and Daboll, finding a way to have the two separate tracks of this offseason convene at a common spot at some point in 2025 is the ultimate goal and challenge.

With NFL Draft festivities in Green Bay set to begin with the first round in prime time on April 24, we will continue to analyze what we know about the prospects who should be in play for the Giants.

Who will Giants draft in first round?

So much is on the table for the Giants, who currently hold the No. 3 overall selection with the pre-draft focus turning from Pro Days to private workouts and “30” visits in East Rutherford. Whatever plan Schoen executed in free agency was going to have a significant impact on the Giants’ draft plans, especially at quarterback.

Cam Ward is expected to go to the Titans at No. 1, and multiple reports suggest the Cleveland Browns will not go quarterback with Shedeur Sanders, instead selecting his Colorado teammate and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Sitting at No. 3, with the additions of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston at quarterback, what does that mean for the Giants and their prospects of taking a quarterback there? Sources have told NorthJersey.com and The Record that those two signings did not alter the plan, and that if they believed in Sanders or another quarterback in that spot, the presence of Wilson and Winston would not necessarily prevent a selection.

The Giants continued operating in the spirit of keeping all options open.

Giants mock draft: Every selection for Big Blue

Using the Pro Football Network Draft simulator, here is our second-to-last stab at laying out a possible mock path for the Giants. Ward went to the Titans and the Browns took Travis Hunter, so I had the choice between Abdul Carter and Shedeur Sanders, and went back and forth.

Round 1, Pick 3: Abdul Carter, Edge/ILB, Penn State

“When you’re this high in the draft, you draft players, not positions,” the Athletic’s draft analyst Dane Brugler said.

Carter plays with aggression and he’s really good with his hands. This was his first year playing defensive end and on the edge, so there’s no telling how good he can be with more experience at the position. His combination of athletic traits, explosiveness and potential upside is off the charts.

ESPN analyst Jordan Reid told NorthJersey.com and The Record that Carter has a similar upside as a pro to that of another former Penn State prospect that moved around from off-ball linebacker to the defensive front in rush packages: Cowboys star Micah Parsons.

The Giants are expected to pick up Kayvon Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, and Brian Burns is still among the league’s best pass rushers and is ascending. Yet if any team has proven you can’t have too many pass rushers, it’s the Giants. Hunter is a special talent as well, so if the Browns – or someone else in a trade-up – take Carter, the Giants would run that card up as well.

By adding Carter to this defense, the Giants have created an identity. They can also chase ceiling in a quarterback later in the draft, which comes up next.

Round 1, Pick 30 [Trade with Bills]: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama

Faux Schoen made a call to buddy Faux Brandon Beane to get in front of the Browns and back into the first round to secure a QB prospect with a tantalizing skill set for Daboll, OC Mike Kafka and QB coach Shea Tierney to mold. The Giants would send their second round pick, No. 34 overall, their fourth round pick this year, No. 105, and a 2026 third round pick to the Bills for their first round pick, No. 30 overall, and their 2026 fourth round pick.

Milroe has had his ups and downs at Alabama, but when things have been rolling, his game is electric. The pre-draft process has been fascinating as he steps into a different sort of spotlight for NFL teams seeking a certain presence at quarterback. Milroe certainly won’t shrink from the challenge in the Meadowlands after having all eyes on him for two-plus years in Tuscaloosa.

As a runner, Milroe is by far the most dangerous playmaker at the position. With a year of learning behind Wilson and Winston, could he wind up drawing comparisons to Jalen Hurts? Give him time and swing for the fences.

Round 3, Pick 65: Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

With a combination of vision, patience and toughness, Johnson is the headliner in the list of our five favorite running back prospects that fit with the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft. Team brass has done a lot of homework in what the league believes is a deep class at the position, so it would not be a surprise if Big Blue adds one in the draft this year.

Johnson rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns, leading the Big 10 in both categories. He also showed great ball security with zero fumbles in 240 carries. He had 21 carries of 20 or more yards last season, the second most in the nation.

Round 3, Pick 99: Alfred Collins, DT, Texas

When healthy, the 6-foot-6, 330-pounder is a menace on the interior defensive line. Those first two words likely played into Collins’ trip to 1925 Giants Drive. There are medical concerns as Collins was seen in a walking boot when he did not participate in the Longhorns’ Pro Day, so that needs to be checked out. He has the potential to be a very effective run stuffer, and his athleticism is underrated. The injury uncertainty could slide into great value territory and, had I not made a deal to go up and get Milroe, Collins was on my board at No. 34.

Round 5, Pick 154: Jackson Slater, OL, Sacramento State

The Giants are open to drafting a starter at either guard spot, but with Jon Runyan Jr. and Greg Van Roten both returning, this could be an opportunity to cash in for the long-term, too. Slater started 44 games in his career, earning first-team All-Big Sky honors three times. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl and tested extremely well at the NFL Combine. He is 6-foot-3 and 311 pounds with 32-inch arms. The tape reveals great mobility, strength, and natural leverage that should translate to the next level.

Round 7, Pick 219: Hollin Pierce, OT, Rutgers

Pierce has an ideal combination of size and length (6-foot-8, 344 pounds), and the most appealing aspect of his game is the way he has rapidly improved in his career. The New Jersey native has yet to hit his ceiling, and in this spot, the Giants should be looking for an offensive lineman to develop and get the most out of while working behind veterans Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor. If Pierce excels fast enough, he would give the Giants much-needed young depth at a position reliant on proven players who are not easily replaceable.

Round 7, Pick 246: Will Sheppard, WR, Colorado

Sheppard is a very good route runner and he impressed at the East/West Shrine Bowl, which the Giants were all over. That’s where they fell in love with Tyrone Tracy a year ago, and you can bet Daboll and Schoen have seen plenty of Sheppard as they have combed through all the tape of Shedeur Sanders. They recently had dinner with Sheppard, who also impressed at the Colorado Pro Day. He’s 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, and will be an under-the-radar developmental prospect.