ESPN mock draft: Cam Ward to the Giants is becoming the consensus

The third mock in two days with the Giants targeting Ward

A consensus has quickly formed at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft, and it’s not just that the New York Giants are drafting a quarterback, but that the Giants are targeting Miami quarterback Cam Ward.

Multiple well-sourced mock drafts have emerged since the close of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, and each of them has connected the Giants to the reigning NCAA career touchdown leader.

In his post-combine mock draft, that’s what ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid does as well. And as with Dane Brugler of The Athletic before him, he projects a trade up between the Giants and Tennessee Titans to start the draft.

Projected trade: Giants leap into the top spot
With Matthew Stafford agreeing to return to the Rams, the Giants’ 2025 quarterback options seem to be down to Aaron Rodgers or drafting a quarterback of the future. We’re projecting the latter here, with New York sending its first-rounder (No. 3) and second-rounder (No. 34) in this draft and its third-round pick in 2026 to the Titans to have their choice between Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.

1. New York Giants (via projected trade with TEN)
Cam Ward, QB, Miami

A team hasn’t traded up from No. 3 to No. 1 since 1975, when the Falcons moved up to select quarterback Steve Bartkowski. Several sources at the combine told me the Giants are exploring multiple options at quarterback, but the Giants can’t exit this draft without their QB of the future. Holding the No. 3 pick in a draft with two surefire first-round quarterbacks means New York might have to trade up for a concrete chance at either of them.

Ward is the top QB of this class. His combination of physical ability, improvisational skills and poise in big moments makes him an ideal selection for coach Brian Daboll. His 88.7 QBR was second in the FBS, and his 29 completions of 20-plus air yards tied for fifth.

Raptor’s Thoughts

I suspect Giants fans are going to get bored of this scenario awfully quickly.

I’m not going to spend much time talking about Ward. My Deep Dive into him — and deep dives into the rest of the top QB prospects — will be out soon enough, and the in-depth analysis can wait until then.

What Reid says about the Giants exploring every option at quarterback lines up with what everything we’ve heard.

No team is more desperate for a quarterback than the Giants. Not only do they simply not have any on their roster, but Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will almost certainly be looking for new jobs if they can’t find one. Unless John Mara has far far more patience than he’s let on, the Giants simply can’t allow themselves not come away with a quarterback of the future.

Reid’s mock follows up with Shedeur Sanders going second overall to the Cleveland Browns. That’s likely based on Adam Schefter’s reporting that the Browns are interested in a quarterback. The flip side is that we’ve heard quite a bit lately that teams are souring on Sanders and that he could slide in the draft. There’s speculation that he could perhaps slip to QB 3 or 4 depending on how Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough are viewed around the League.

If so, the Giants just can’t allow themselves to get out-bid for a quarterback if the Titans are willing to deal.

It is notable then that Reid believes that the Giants could get the first overall pick relatively cheaply (he must’ve read Tony’s recent piece). There’s always a price to be paid to get better, and swapping first round picks along with 34th overall and their 2026th third rounder is pretty reasonable.

Missing that second rounder would sting, but the Giants also have free agency to patch holes. Getting a potential Franchise Quarterback supersedes every other need.