The New York Giants are preparing for a crucial 2025 NFL Draft. They hold the No. 3 overall pick and are facing a challenging decision as they weigh their options between the draft class’s best prospects and the possibility of taking a quarterback of the future.
At the end of the 2024 season, team president and co-owner John Mara expressed his obvious frustration after a 3-14 finish and called upon the front office to finally solve the quarterback position. That could be weighing on general manager Joe Schoen’s mind as he prepares for the draft. However, reports indicate that Mara has not been overly involved or dictating the organization’s draft plans this offseason.
Giants owner John Mara is taking a hands-off approach to the team’s draft plans
According to Todd McShay of The Ringer (h/t Nick Falato of Big Blue View), the Giants’ team president is not getting in the way of his front office as it pertains to their decision-making in this year’s draft:
“I’ve been told John Mara is staying out of it so far,” McShay said on The McShay Show. “Again, just sources. I haven’t talked to the Mara family.”
This report seems to corroborate a sentiment relayed by NFL Network’s Marc Ross (h/t Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post). Ross worked in the Giants’ front office for 11 years, spending five seasons as the Vice President of Player Evaluation and six seasons as the Director of College Scouting, and winning two Super Bowls with the organization.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero asked Ross about Mara’s level of involvement during the draft, to which Ross gave an encouraging response:
“He was always heavily involved, but never told people what to do there,” Ross said of Mara. “We made a collaboration decision, Jerry Reese the GM, Tom Coughlin the head coach, excellent job collaborating but Jerry always had the final say. ‘Hey, John, you good with this?’ And he always was, he never said ‘No, I’m not,’ which is always a good thing.”
There has long been fan speculation that Mara is overly involved as an owner during the NFL Draft. However, the majority of the reporting and evidence that has been uncovered reveals that he is far more hands-off than most owners around the NFL.
The NFL Draft is just days away. Schoen, Mara, head coach Brian Daboll, and the Giants’ organization are faced with a difficult decision in the first round of this year’s draft. This will be a crucial draft for Schoen and Daboll as they aim to bounce back from a 3-14 finish last season and put a competitive team on the field in 2025.
