New Mock Draft Makes Some Interesting Choices for Giants Beyond First Round

With the New York Giants sitting at No. 3 overall in the upcoming draft, there seems to be little deviation as to which quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward and cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter are projected to land in the Big Apple.

But after the first round of Pro Football Network’s latest mock draft written by Ben Rolfe, things get interesting or shall we say creative. Rolfe has the Giants selecting Hunter with the third overall pick, which again is no surprise, especially since he had Ward and Sanders going first and second in his mock.

But let's not take a look at what Rolfe had for the rest of his mock draft.

Round 2, No. 34: TE Harold Fannin, Jr., Bowling Green

Rolfe, who, by the way, has the Giants landing Hunter with the third overall pick, gets super creative in the second round, where he mocked Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin, Jr. to Big Blue.

“The New York Giants have never found a replacement for Evan Engram, and this has sometimes affected their offensive play," Rolfe wrote.

"They have had playmakers at all the other offensive positions in the past three years but not at wide receiver. Drafting Harold Fannin Jr. could fix that immediately.”

That confusing and incorrect analysis aside, Fannin is a tight end, and last we checked, the Giants had Malik Nabers, a play-making receiver, not to mention the very promising young Theo Johnson at tight end. It would be surprising if the Giants were to take Fannin or any tight end, for that matter, this high.

Round 3, No. 65: QB Jaxon Dart, Ole Miss

With Pick No. 65, Rolfe has the Giants selecting Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

“Whether they also add a veteran to start in 2025 is yet to be seen, but Dart has development potential. He is a natural leader and playmaker, which is a great starting point,” Rolfe wrote.

While we don’t hate the pick at this spot, we can pretty much say that the Giants will add a veteran to start in 2025, as we just don’t see them simply throwing a rookie, regardless of who he is, into the mix on Day 1.

That said, regardless of what the Giants do in free agency shouldn't sway them away from drafting a quarterback, even if it's a Day 2 or Day 3 prospect.

The other thing we’re curious to see is if the Giants, who reportedly have Dart as the third quarterback on their board, might be willing to trade up into the bottom of the first round so that they can have an extra year with him thanks to the option year that all first-round picks get in their contracts.

While this might make it look like the Giants are over-drafting Dart, it also gives them the extra year if they need to let him sit during his rookie campaign.

Apr 28, 2021; Canton, Ohio, USA; The draft card of Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Stafford as the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

And the Rest

For the remaining picks, Rolfe simply lists the players and even appears to have traded for those picks involving the Steelers. Here are his picks, so we’ll give our thoughts on whom he has selected.

Round 4, No. 122 (via Pittsburgh - original pick was No. 104; mock scenario): IDL Elijah Roberts, SMU
Round 4, No. 134 (projected comp pick): WR Pat Bryant, Illinois
Round 5, No. 155 (from Seattle - Leonard Williams trade): LB Teddye Buchanan, Cal
Round 5, No. 164 (from LAR via PIT; mock scenario): OT Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M
Round 7, No. 221: CB Isas Waxter, Villanova
Round 7, No. 238 (from Denver via Pittsburgh): RB Damien Martines, Miami (Fla).
Round 7, No. 248 (from Buffalo - Boogie Basham trade): Gerard Christain-Lichtenham, Oregon State

Round 2, No. 34: TE Harold Fannin, Jr., Bowling Green

Round 3, No. 65: QB Jaxon Dart, Ole Miss

And the Rest

New York Giants On SI Social Media