The New York Giants are in the midst of a pivotal 2025 offseason. They were among the league’s biggest spenders in free agency, upgrading their defense and adding experienced talent across the board. However, with the 2025 NFL Draft on the horizon, the Giants must prepare to fill several needs and land impactful prospects to build toward a brighter future.
Giants land a franchise quarterback in the first round
With the No. 3 overall pick in this mock draft, the Giants land their franchise quarterback: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
In this mock, Miami QB Cam Ward goes off the board to the Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick, and Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter gets taken second overall by the Cleveland Browns. That leaves the Giants with a difficult decision: take the best player available in a potential game-wrecker with Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter? Or take a chance on a quarterback who many analysts have well down the draft board?
With general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll entering a make-or-break year, they need to solve the quarterback position. Sanders might not be an elite athlete nor is he a physical specimen. But he is supremely accurate and has the ability to process the field and throw with anticipation. Those qualities could make him impactful as early as his rookie season.
Adding an impact defensive starter in Round 2
The 2025 NFL Draft class is filled with talent in the trenches, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Giants need to add another viable starting defensive lineman to play alongside Dexter Lawrence. That’s what they target in Round 2 of this mock draft, landing Oregon DL Derrick Harmon.
At 6-foot-4, 313 pounds, Harmon can fill a void on the interior of the Giants’ defensive line. He’s an impressive athlete for his size (4.95s 40-yard dash) and provides versatility to a defense with his ability to align in several positions on the defensive line.
Harmon could be a pocket-pusher as an interior rusher and also has the requisite size and strength at the position to be a disruptive run-stopper. The Giants’ defense would improve in every facet with Harmon in their trenches.
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Round 3 finally addresses the Giants’ right guard situation
Entering free agency, the Giants had hoped they would be able to land a starting right guard at the top of the market. They attempted to sign former Colts RG Will Fries, but he eventually signed a deal outside of their price range with the Vikings. However, their interest in Fries demonstrates the Giants’ commitment to improving the position.
With pick 65 of this mock draft, the Giants take Georgia iOL Tate Ratledge. The Bulldogs product spent three seasons as the program’s starting right guard. He comes in at 6-foot-6, 308 pounds, and possesses elite athleticism for the position. At the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Ratledge scored a 98 Athleticism Score according to Next Gen Stats and NFL.com.
Adding Ratledge would give the G-Men a developmental talent on the interior to one day take over at right guard in place of the veteran Greg Van Roten. He could possibly start and make an impact from day one, but would likely be seen as more of a long-term project.
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Giants add more talent to the defensive backfield with the No. 99 pick
The Giants have an additional third-round compensatory pick (No. 99 overall) this year. Having already addressed their three biggest needs with their first three picks, the Giants now aim to add depth with this selection, selecting Kansas CB Cobee Bryant.
The Giants met with Bryant during the NFL Scouting Combine, expressing their interest in the 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back. Bryant isn’t the greatest athlete but he is an instinctual player with great ball skills and a knack for staying with wide receivers in coverage.
Although New York spent big on the secondary this offseason, the average age of the starting unit is still only 24 years old. They have an inexperienced and young defensive backfield that could afford to continue adding talent. Bryant doesn’t add any more experience, however, he does add more depth and long-term upside as a potential starter.
