The New York Giants will be in the quarterback market this offseason as they plan to reboot the direction of the franchise after parting ways with Daniel Jones midseason. At 2-11, the Giants are in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which could be utilized to land their next franchise quarterback.
The Giants will likely select their next franchise quarterback
In six of the last seven NFL Drafts, a quarterback has been the first prospect off the board. That trend is likely to continue this offseason with prospects such as Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders contending to be the first-overall pick for one of the NFL’s quarterback-needy teams.
However, the Giants are heading for a full-on rebuild — especially if they end up firing general manager Joe Schoen. In that case, they could consider taking the best player available regardless of position with their first-round pick, continuing to build out the rest of their roster so that when they eventually do draft a quarterback he’s not stepping into such a messy lineup.
Could the Giants add a QB in free agency?
Instead of drafting a quarterback, the Giants could target a veteran in free agency to serve as a bridge for the next season or two while the team continues to rebuild the roster. This would take pressure off the coaching staff to force a rookie into the lineup when he might not be ready to compete at the professional level. Signing a veteran would give the Giants stability under center for the time being while they wait to draft a quarterback in the future or sit a prospect behind the veteran to grow and develop for a while.
The top of the draft features a pair of elite cornerbacks
If the Giants sign a veteran and forego the opportunity to draft a rookie quarterback, they could address another major position of weakness in their lineup. The Giants’ secondary is weak and in dire need of additional talent. The top of the 2025 NFL Draft class features a pair of elite cornerbacks who will likely be drafted top-10.
Travis Hunter will likely be the Heisman Trophy winner
If a quarterback doesn’t go first overall, then Colorado CB Travis Hunter likely will. He’s a tremendous talent in top contention to win this year’s Heisman Trophy. He made history this year, winning both the Chuck Bednarik Award presented to the defensive player of the year in college football and the Biletnikoff Award presented to the most outstanding wide receiver in college football. He is the first player in history to win both awards, being recognized for his innate ability to play both sides of the ball at an elite level.
Hunter could kill two birds with one stone for the Giants, giving them a potentially elite playmaker on both sides of the ball as a wide receiver and as a cornerback. As a receiver, Hunter totaled 1,152 yards and led the Big 12 with 92 receptions and 14 receiving touchdowns. As a cornerback, he snagged four interceptions and led the Big 12 with 11 pass defenses.
Few prospects are more likely to receive the “generational” label than Hunter. He is an elite athlete with a rare skill set to be utilized on both sides of the ball. The Giants, in need of talent all across their lineup, would be a better team immediately if they drafted Hunter.
Will Johnson is an exciting cornerback prospect
While Hunter is the consensus No. 1 cornerback in this draft class, Michigan’s Will Johnson could make a pretty strong case for that title as well. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound cover man put together an incredible collegiate career for Michigan, totaling nine interceptions across three seasons.
If the Giants don’t wind up with the No. 1 pick and also don’t wind up with their desired quarterback in the first round, Johnson would be an intriguing selection. He led the country this season with two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
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Johnson is the No. 2 cornerback in the draft class according to Pro Football Focus’s rankings and the No. 5 overall player on their Big Board. He possesses the ability to shadow primary wide receivers and would immediately bolster the Giants’ coverage unit as a rookie.
It might be a foregone conclusion that the Giants are drafting a quarterback this offseason — especially if they retain Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. However, if they decide to clean house and reboot the franchise, they could wind up taking a more long-term approach to rebuilding the roster, adding pieces all around the lineup to eventually plug the right signal-caller in down the road. With cornerback being such a weak position on the Giants’ roster, some consideration to the class’s top prospects needs to be given.
