The New York Giants are positioned to land a premier talent with the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. This is a crucial draft for Big Blue as they aim to bounce back from a 3-14 finish in 2024. Nailing that first pick is critical, but what they do in the subsequent rounds of the draft could make or break them.
In this three-round mock draft, the Giants will address some of their biggest needs while also forming a defensive front that could be among the league’s best.
Giants land NFL Draft’s top prospect in Round 1
With each passing day, it seems more and more likely that the Giants will take Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter with the third-overall pick in the draft. Carter is considered by many to be the best player in this year’s draft class, ranking No. 1 overall on ESPN’s Big Board, for example.
Carter is a dominant force and an athletic freak off the edge. In 2024, he totaled 12.0 sacks and led the nation with 24 tackles for loss. His playing style is aggressive and reminiscent of fellow Penn State alum Micah Parsons, who is one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers for the Dallas Cowboys.
Adding their own version of Parsons would be an enticing choice for the G-Men. They have met with him five times, indicating that they are zeroing in on Carter as their top choice in the first round.
Forming the nastiest defensive line in the NFL
After taking Carter in Round 1, the Giants’ commitment to the trenches won’t stop there in this mock draft. With the No. 34 overall pick, the G-Men will take Oregon DT Derrick Harmon. Although he might be selected on Day 1 of the draft, he could slide into Round 2, making him a valuable selection for New York.
Harmon is a 6-foot-4, 313-pounder who clogs rushing lanes on the interior but also provides a surprising amount of pass-rushing prowess. His 55 pressures in 2024 were the most among all NCAA defensive tackles, while his 17.6% pass-rush win rate ranked fourth (h/t SCOUTD on X).
The Giants already have one of the best pass-rushing interior defenders in the NFL with Dexter Lawrence. Pairing Harmon with Lawrence would create a tall task for opposing offensive lines to handle.
A defensive line featuring Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Carter, Lawrence, and Harmon might be the nastiest unit in the NFL. Combining depth on the edge with incredible pass-rushing upside on the interior, this would be a defensive line that gives the Giants’ defense its identity back.
Addressing the offense in Round 3
After going defense back-to-back in Round 1 and Round 2, the Giants are going to utilize both of their third-round picks to address the offensive side of the ball in this mock draft.
With pick No. 65, they take Ole Miss WR Tre Harris — a physical 6-foot-3 playmaker who can stretch the field. In 2024, he played in only eight games, but still totaled 60 receptions for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns.
His 5.12 yards per route run and 95.0 receiving grade vs. man coverage led the NCAA in 2024, per PFF. The Giants need another playmaker opposite Malik Nabers, and Harris (his high school quarterback) could be an intriguing pairing.
Moving on to pick No. 99, this is where the Giants will land their developmental quarterback prospect. National champion Will Howard, out of the Ohio State University, is among the most intriguing mid-round quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class. He has the archetypical build for an NFL quarterback at 6-foot-4, 236 pounds. Howard racked up a Big Ten-leading 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns last season en route to a championship.
Howard is a winner — something the Giants should covet. Adding him and Harris in the third round would cap off Day 2 of the draft with a bang, giving Big Blue a pair of young playmakers on offense to build toward a brighter future. Combine that with the ferocious defensive line they formed in Round 1 and Round 2, and the Giants might be a sneaky-good team in 2024.
