QB or No QB? For Giants, the Answer is the Latter in This Mock Draft

With the top of the 2025 NFL Draft order seemingly changing daily, Dane Brugler of The Athletic isn’t messing around with his selection for the New York Giants at pick number three.

Brugler’s latest mock draft has Miami quarterback Cam Ward, an early favorite who’s been linked to the Giants, going first overall to the Tennessee Titans. That pick is followed by Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter going to the Cleveland Browns.

But instead of mocking Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders to the quarterback-needy Giants at No. 3, Brugler has the Giants selecting cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter from Colorado.

“If the Giants cannot move up for Ward, would they like Shedeur Sanders enough to draft him at No. 3?” Brugler wrote.

“In this scenario, they don’t and instead opt for arguably the best player in the draft. Hunter would give New York an upgrade at corner — and he’d be a fun weapon for [head coach] Brian Daboll to mix into the offense for the Giants’ TBD quarterback.”

Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, would certainly be an interesting selection for the Giants, who could use some depth on the perimeter at cornerback (assuming that they don’t plan to move Dru Phillips to the outside and shift Cor’Dale Flott back to the slot).

The interesting thing about Brugler’s mock is that he has the quarterback-needy Giants passing on Sanders, who, by the way, dropped to the Raiders at No. 6.

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) throws the ball before the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That being said, the Giants do not have to take a quarterback if Ward is unavailable. Plenty of talented quarterbacks will be available in the second and third rounds if the Giants want to go that route, such as Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Jalen Milroe (Alabama), and Kyle McCord (Syracuse), just to name a few.

The Giants need the best player at a position of need and can’t afford to force a pick at a position of need just for the sake of doing so.

As for Hunter, the question would be whether the Giants view him as a cornerback or wide receiver. If it’s the latter, it would be hard to justify drawing pass targets away from Malik Nabers, the first Giants receiver to crack 1,000 receiving yards since Odell Bekcham Jr did so in 2018.

If we go back to last year when the Giants drafted Dru Phillips in the third round, Schoen spoke of how the former Kentucky product could move to the perimeter at some point, which, if that’s the plan, would presumably solve the identity of the other cornerback opposite of Deonte Banks.

Even if the Giants desire a cornerback, would Hunter over Michigan’s Will Johnson make sense?

Hunter is a great prospect, but he was in on too many reps in college, and his body has a lot of wear and tear, having played two games every Saturday by playing a full game on offense and defense most weeks.

The other choice that Brugler didn’t consider but that makes perfect sense is Michigan’s interior defensive lineman Mason Graham.

The Giants regularly struggled in the trenches, particularly against NFC East opponents, and adding a power defender like Graham alongside Dexter Lawrence II would instantly upgrade the defensive front that frequently got pushed around when Lawerence was given a breather.

More Giants Coverage

Giants Top Three Offensive Performers in 2024 Reveals a Pair of Surprises

Report: Giants Eyeing Jets Assistant Coach to Fill D-Backs Coaching Role

New York Giants Mailbag: Pondering the Future Edition

More Giants Coverage

New York Giants On SI Social Media