Can the Giants still manage to get Their Guy at No. 3 overall?
The 2024-2025 NFL season is finally in the books, and now the order for the 2025 NFL Draft is set.
Ordinarily, a 3-14 season would all but guarantee the first overall pick. But the New York Giants just had pick a year in which there were three 14-loss teams, as well as another three teams with 13 losses. Their late win over the Indianapolis Colts looms large, as the Giants are in dire need of a quarterback, but are surrounded by five other quarterback-needy teams in the Top 10.
And yet, there’s a growing cadre of mock drafts from well-connected individuals that have the top quarterback prospects fall to the Giants. That’s just what happened in the latest mock draft from Field Yates of ESPN, as Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter go to the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns.
3. Cam Ward, QB, Miami
The two teams most pressed to upgrade at quarterback this offseason are the Giants and Raiders, and I wouldn’t rule out New York pursuing a veteran via a trade before we even get to the draft. Under present roster constructions, though, I have the Giants taking the electric Ward as the first signal-caller off the board.
Ward dazzled during his lone season at Miami, throwing for the most touchdown passes (39) and second-most passing yards (4,313) in the FBS. Though he must clean up his footwork and decision-making, Ward has a high ceiling. He brings a powerful arm, can be an innovator on the field and has a steely demeanor in big moments.The Giants, who moved on from Daniel Jones during the 2024 season, have to find stability at QB after finishing 28th in QBR (44.9) and managing only two more TD passes (15) than interceptions (13).
Raptor’s thoughts
As I’ve said before, I have yet to complete my in-depth evaluations of this year’s quarterback class. So continue to take this with a grain of salt.
As of right now, I do believe that Cam Ward is the best fit for the Giants.
Schematically, he fits what they want to do on offense well. Their offensive personnel are designed to attack downfield to open up underneath passes and the run game, while also having the threat of the quarterback run. The Giants’ offense is capable of looking incredibly impressive when hitting on all cylinders, but that doesn’t happen without the deep pass.
Ward has respectable average depth of target at 9.8 yards downfield, a high Big Time Throw rate (6.3%, 15th in the FBS per PFF), and racks up deep yardage (1,148 yards, fifth). Yet Ward has a relatively low rate of turnover worthy plays (89th in the country), while also having a healthy 15.9 percent pressure to sack rate.
In other words, he stretches the field but doesn’t put the ball in danger or take many unnecessary sacks.
But what I find really interesting is how many national level (and therefore very well-connected) writers have the Giants getting a quarterback at the top of the draft.
The sense from listening to the most well-connected insiders is that the Giants are taking a quarterback at the top of the draft.
As well they should.
The cold, hard truth of the NFL is that there really isn’t a massive gulf between the most and least talented teams in the league. But in order to compete at the highest levels, a team needs a quarterback who can play at a high level and allow his teammates to play up to their potential. The Giants have the talent to compete (this is something I hope to get the chance to write about soon, but the draft grind is pretty all-consuming), but they need the quarterback to open the playbook and allow everything to click.
Given that 2026 is anything but guaranteed — Schoen and Daboll don’t know which quarterbacks will be in next year’s draft, where the Giants will be drafting, or whether they’ll even be employed — that really makes any position other than quarterback a luxury pick. They have to take a swing if they hope to field a functional team in 2025.
