New NFL Mock Draft Paints Perfect Scenario for Giants in First Round

If things worked out as projected in this particular mock draft, Giants fans would probably be pretty happy with the first round of the draft.
Dec 28, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up prior to the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Camping World Stadium.
Dec 28, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up prior to the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Camping World Stadium. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
In this story:

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft of 2025 will surely please New York Giants fans, given how he’s laid out the first three picks in the first round.

Jeremiah’s mock has the Tennessee Titans selecting Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the first overall pick and the Cleveland Browns selecting Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter with the second overall pick.

Those projections are interesting, considering the Titans and Browns are quarterback-needy teams, like the Giants.

Those two picks leave Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders on the Giants' roster, with Ward being the pick over Sanders.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders
Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass the ball in the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

“The Giants are desperate for a quarterback,” Jeremiah wrote. “Ward’s strong arm and playmaking ability would be a great fit.”

The scenario of having to choose from either Ward or Sanders would likely be a dream come true for the Giants, who, in addition to drafting a signal caller, are going to pursue a veteran bridge quarterback in free agency who can keep the seat warm until a rookie (if one is indeed selected) is ready to take over the full-time reins. 

This is the same approach the Giants took back in 2004 when they acquired Eli Manning in a trade from the San Diego Chargers.

This was also supposed to have been the plan when the team drafted Daniel Jones in 2019, only to have that go to pieces when then-head coach Pat Shurmur, enamored with Jones’s athleticism and mobility, rushed Jones into the lineup before he was ready.

The Giants might have trouble landing Ward if he’s their target. According to Pro Football Focus’s mock draft simulator, Ward has been mocked to the Giants in only 10% of the mock drafts run, with the Titans coming in at 69% and the Browns at 15%. 

Conversely, Sanders has been mocked to the Giants in 49% of the mock drafts, followed by the Browns at 22% and the Raiders at 16%.

According to , which in the 2024 draft, Sanders has been mocked to be selected by the Giants 51% of the time over the last week, with Ward favored to go to the Browns in 66% of the mock drafts.

The upcoming free agency period is expected to alter some early mock draft forecasts, especially if the Titans or Browns make a trade for Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins. 

The Giants, meanwhile, have started to be linked to Saints quarterback Derek Carr, but it’s unlikely that if the Giants were to acquire a veteran, they would rest on their laurels as far as getting a younger franchise quarterback for the long term.

See All Our Draft Content Here. dark. Next. Draft Content


New York Giants On SI Social Media


Published
Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.