The New York Giants need to add playmakers this offseason. Their offense has been among the worst in the NFL over the last two seasons. Picking third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Giants will have an opportunity to land a difference-making prospect in the first round. However, some prospects are more desirable than others in the eyes of the fanbase.
With the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, the expectation is that the Giants will take a quarterback. However, as they reportedly make trading for Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford their top priority, that pick could be used to add a premier talent at another position. And if they go for the “best player available,” or if they trade down, an elite backfield playmaker could be brought into the discussion.
Giants reportedly met with Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is one of the top prospects in this year’s draft class. The Giants reportedly met with Jeanty at the NFL Scouting Combine this week. This could signal a change in philosophy from general manager Joe Schoen, who previously undervalued the running back position. Considering the outcome of the 2024 campaign, Schoen might have changed his perspective and could now view an elite running back as a premium.
The Heisman Trophy runner-up ranks No. 5 on Pro Football Focus’s Big Board and is considered one of the top prospects in the entire draft class on every analyst’s rankings. However, despite his prominence and despite the Giants’ need to add playmakers, drafting Jeanty would be a mistake.
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Jeanty would be the wrong pick for the Giants
Jeanty is one of the greatest running backs in NCAA history. His 2024 season was nothing short of historic. The Boise State product will be an elite difference-maker at the next level. But despite all of this, he would be the wrong selection for the Giants.
Sure, the sight of Saquon Barkley hoisting a Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles stings — really, really badly. But that should not prompt this level of an overcorrection from the Giants.
Schoen clearly made a mistake letting Barkley walk out the door, take a ride down the turnpike, and wind up in the home of a division rival. Still, he needs to trust the process. The Giants have a promising young back on their roster in Tyrone Tracy Jr. Drafting Jeanty would undoubtedly give them an elite talent in the backfield, but that would come at the expense of an upgrade at another position of greater need and importance.
The Giants drafting Jeanty in the first round is unrealistic, anyway. He could become a target in a potential trade-down scenario, but even then, such a selection would be unlikely. But if he is the pick for Big Blue, fans will undoubtedly be irate, even despite Jeanty’s otherworldly talent.
