Finding the New York Giants’ next franchise quarterback will be priority No. 1 for whoever is the organization’s general manager. With a projected top draft pick, the G-Men will have a prime opportunity to land one of the draft class’s top quarterback prospects.
Giants land Miami QB Cam Ward in latest seven-round mock draft
In The Draft Network’s New York Giants 7-Round NFL Mock Draft: December, Big Blue found their franchise signal-caller with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. TDN’s Justin Melo had the Giants drafted Miami quarterback Cam Ward:
“Cam Ward remains an occasionally frustrating prospect, but Daboll is the ideal coach to develop his raw playmaking ability into something more tangible,” Melo explained of the selection. “Josh Allen has become a lazy comparison for college quarterbacks, but Daboll’s experience working with him in Buffalo makes him the ideal candidate to help Ward work through his kinks. The Giants will build an offense around his skill set.”
Ward is one of the 2025 NFL Draft class’s most exciting projected talents. The Miami signal-caller broke out this season, throwing for 4,123 yards and a nation-leading 36 touchdowns to only seven interceptions with an ACC-high 171.1 passer rating.
Ward was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy after this historic season and will undoubtedly be a top pick in April’s draft. He has the tools and the traits to be a franchise quarterback if drafted and developed in the right situation. The Giants could be the team that takes a chance on the Miami gunslinger.
The rest of the mock draft had the Giants focused on adding talent around Ward
After drafting Ward, Melo’s mock draft had the Giants surrounding their new franchise quarterback with talent. He had the G-Men adding two offensive lineman and one wide receiver in the middle rounds. These are the full results from The Draft Network’s seven-round Giants mock draft:
- Round 1 (No. 2 overall): Cam Ward, QB, Miami
- Round 2 (No. 33 overall): Marcus Mbow, OT, Purdue
- Round 3 (No. 66 overall): Jacob Parrish, CB, Kansas State
- Round 4 (No. 102 overall): Josaiah Stewart, EDGE, Michigan
- Round 4 (No. 134 overall): Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
- Round 5 (No. 160 overall): Garrett Dellinger, OL, LSU
- Round 7 (No. 218 overall): Upton Stout, SAF, Western Kentucky
- Round 7 (No. 245 overall): Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB, Kentucky
- Round 7 (No. 256 overall): Austin Brinkman, LS, West Virginia
Solidifying the offensive line to protect Ward
After taking Ward in Round 1, Melo had New York adding some protection up front for their new quarterback, taking offensive tackle Marcus Mbow out of Purdue:
“The Evan Neal experience obviously hasn’t worked out… Drafting a right tackle to pair with Ward represents the reset this offense needs. Marcus Mbow plays right tackle at Purdue, meaning a position switch wouldn’t be required for this projection. Mbow is an outstanding athlete with a finisher’s mentality.”
In addition to Mbow, Melo had the Giants doubling down on the offensive line, taking versatile LSU OL Garrett Dellinger in the fifth round:
“Garrett Dellinger has played every position for LSU throughout his underrated career. Dellinger is an ideal fit to play a swing interior role at both guard and center at the next level. He’ll garner interest from NFL scouts in Mobile this year.”
Adding playmaking talent to the Giants’ offense
Solidfying the right tackle position would be a major plus for the Giants considering the lack of success they have had at that position for the last several years. Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins is also a quarterback-friendly addition in the fourth round:
“Jayden Higgins is a big-framed pass catcher who places stress on opposing corners in coverage. The Cyclones standout is fluid for his size and does an excellent job running routes with tempo and burst. Higgins would be an interesting replacement for Slayton.”
With Darius Slayton likely to leave in free agency, the Giants will be back in the market for a wide receiver to pair with Malik Nabers this offseason. Higgins would be an intriguing choice to fill that hole.
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The Giants need to get this draft class right
The Giants’ 2024 rookie class has been a lone bright spot in what has been a dark season. However, the members of the team’s previous two draft classes have struggled to catch on and develop into quality contributors. New York needs another class like the one they just had, rather than the classes that came prior.
Any draft class that takes a potential franchise quarterback is crucial. However, the subsequent picks made to bolster the roster around the new quarterback can be just as important. The Giants need to get the right quarterback under center and get the right talent around him to ensure they forge a successful future.
