The New York Giants no longer have to take a quarterback in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft after signing the likes of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Instead, they could take the best player available or address another position of major need with the No. 3 overall pick. Perhaps they could still add a quarterback later in the draft.
The latest mock draft from CBS Sports has the Giants making a bold move to gain an additional first-round pick, addressing two positions of need on Day 1 of the NFL Draft.
Giants take Missouri OT Armand Membou with first pick in mock draft
The Giants’ offensive line has been their Kryptonite for the better part of the last decade. They have tried to no avail to upgrade the unit. Their selection of RT Evan Neal in 2022 has not panned out. A few years later, could they hit the do-over button and try drafting another offensive tackle early? Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has them taking Missouri OT Armand Membou with the No. 3 overall pick in his latest mock draft:
“The Giants must continue to fortify the offensive line, and he’ll need to be better protected than past quarterbacks in the Brian Daboll era. Membou is a powerful blocker with elite testing numbers.”
Adding Membou would majorly upgrade New York’s offensive line. However, this selection has them passing on Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter — a decision that would be sure to upset Giants fans. Carter is viewed as arguably the best player in the draft class and could be a game wrecker at the next level. Membou would address a more pressing position of need, but Carter is the better overall prospect.
Still, there is a lot to like about Membou. The Missouri product lit it up at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, scoring an elite 94 Athleticism Score per Next Gen Stats after running a 4.91 40-yard dash with a 1.74 10-yard split, 34″ vertical, and 31 bench press reps. He was named second-team All-SEC in 2024 after starting all 12 games at right tackle for Missouri and finishing the year as Pro Football Focus’s T-2nd ranked run-blocker in the country.
Selecting Membou would be controversial, but he does fill a major position of need for the Giants. They could move the experienced and versatile Jermaine Eluemunor to right guard and start Membou at right tackle if they made this pick.
However, taking an offensive lineman does not give the Giants a long-term answer at the quarterback position behind Wilson (36 years old) and Winston (31). That solution comes with their next pick.
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Mock draft projects a trade back into the first round for a quarterback
Having already used the No. 3 overall pick on Membou, this mock draft sees the Giants make a trade to add another first-round pick. The Giants are picking No. 34 overall this year, the second pick in the second round. Trading back up to get another first-round pick might not cost them much. But who would they target?
In this mock draft, Trapasso has the Giants trading up to the No. 26 overall pick, selecting Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart:
“Did you watch Winston and Wilson last year? Not exactly quarterbacks who appeared to be in their primes anymore,” Trapasso explained of the selection. “Because of that, the Giants keep their foot on the pedal at the quarterback spot and ascend for Dart, who of course represents much more of a long-term option. It wouldn’t be crazy if the veteran who loses the quarterback battle in camp is ultimately not on the Giants roster in 2025. The Rams get a third-round pick (No. 65) and a fourth-round pick (No. 105) from the G-Men in this swap.”
Trapasso has the Giants giving up their third and fourth-round picks to move up for Dart. However, it is worth noting that New York has two third-round picks in this year’s draft, so they would still maintain pick No. 99 overall in this scenario.
Dart is an intriguing prospect who could be the ideal candidate to sit and develop behind a veteran like Wilson. The Ole Miss product threw for an SEC-leading 4,279 yards in 2024 with an impressive 29-6 TD-INT ratio. His 180.7 passer rating also led the nation.
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Although he isn’t the most refined quarterback, Dart has tools and traits that scouts will appreciate. Affording him time to grow before getting into the starting lineup would be wise. The Giants make sense as a landing spot for Dart if they trade up into the back end of the first round.
