Will the Giants find their quarterback of the future this week?
The 2025 offseason, and draft in particular, is all about the quarterback position for the New York Giants. Not only do the Giants simply not have one under contract for 2025, the careers of Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will hinge on their ability to fix the most important position in sports.
There’s an argument that many of the Giants’ perceived problems stem from them trying to build a team without a solid foundation at the quarterback position.
The practices that lead up to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl will get started Tuesday morning, and the Giants will be out in force. This year’s Senior Bowl will see several of the more intriguing quarterback prospects, and the Giants have made a habit of drafting quarterbacks who impressed at the Senior Bowl. Will they find their quarterback of the future in Mobile?
Quarterback watch
Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)
It’s almost remarkable that Dart wasn’t more highly-regarded during the season. He started the year on a trajectory that mirrored Jayden Daniels’ 2023 campaign in production and efficiency. Dart fell back to Earth a bit with the injury to Tre Harris and better teams able to frustrate Ole Miss’ scheme.
Dart is accurate, athletic, and has a strong arm, which Ole Miss took full advantage of in its explosive offense. He led the FBS in yards on deep throws, is sixth in average depth of target (11.6 yards downfield), and is fifth in “Big Time Throw Rate” per PFF.
On the flip side, there are questions as to whether Dart can operate a more pro style offense or if he’s a product of Lane Kiffin’s scheme. There are flashes of navigating progression reads and manipulating defenses in Dart’s tape, but this is his chance to show that he can adapt to NFL coaching.
Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
There isn’t a more physically talented quarterback in the draft than Jalen Milroe, and he’ll step into the NFL as an elite athletic specimen for the position.
Milroe has a thick, powerful build, and that power is evident throughout his game. He’s a powerful runner who can ignore arm tackles, but also has great speed and agility. He also has a big arm and make every throw and access all areas of the field. Milroe flashes impressive touch on his deep passes and the combination of his arm talent and running ability puts a lot of stress on the defense.
All of that said, Milroe is also just scratching the surface of his potential. Whether or not he reaches that upside remains to be seen. He’s improved throughout his time as Alabama’s starter, but also stumbled badly later in the year. Milroe’s athletic traits are sure to draw eyes whenever he’s on the field this week — and at the Combine.
The important part is how he takes coaching, how he performs in meetings, and how he carries that to the field.
Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)
Gabriel is easily the most experienced quarterback in Mobile, and the most experienced quarterback in the draft. He’s played in an unreal 64 games between his time at Central Florida, Oklahoma, and Oregon, and is tied with Case Keenum for the FBS record for passing touchdowns at 155.
Gabriel has a lot working against him as a relatively old (24 years old), undersized (measuring 5-foot-10, 202 pounds), and left-handed quarterback prospect.
However, he’s also quick, athletic, accurate, and decisive with the football. His stats aren’t a product of the Oregon offense, either. Last year his EPA, QBR, sack rate, and yards per game compared favorably with prospects like Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. Those stats tend to correlate strongly with performance in the NFL, so Gabriel could be a sleeper if he lands in a good situation.
Will Howard (Ohio State)
Howard has prototypical size for the position at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds (listed), and with plenty of arm talent and solid athleticism for his size.
He started his career as much more of a running quarterback at Kansas State before transferring to OSU prior to the 2024 season. He had a breakout year this year, leading the Big 10 in completion percentage (73.0), yards (4,010), and touchdowns (35) en route to a National Championship.
The question is whether or not Howard is a one-year wonder who took advantage of a stacked Ohio State roster, or this year was evidence that his development is accelerating.
Riley Leonard (Notre Dame)
Like Howard, Leonard passes the eye test at 6-foot-4, 216 pounds (listed). He even has the athleticism and arm strength teams look for in a modern quarterback. He was able to effectively attack vertically through the air, while his legs let him make defenses pay for turning their backs on him.
But while he’s a toolsy dual threat quarterback, Leonard was also an inconsistent one-read passer on tape. His process slows down if the defense is able to take his first read away, and his inconsistent mechanics kept him from being accurate on a down-to-down basis. He’ll want to take this opportunity to show off his traits and convince teams that he can rise above his warts on tape.
(Note: Notre Dame and Ohio State players aren’t expected to play due to the extended College Football Playoffs.)
How to watch
Coverage of the Senior Bowl will air exclusively on the NFL Network.
Practice recaps
- Tuesday (1/28), Wednesday (1/29) – 8 p.m., Eastern
- Thursday (1/30) – 11 p.m., Eastern
Additional coverage
NFL Network’s “The Insiders” will broadcast live from Mobile at 7 p.m. Monday (1/27) through Thursday (1/30) at 7 p.m. Eastern.
The Senior Bowl itself will be played Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2:30 p.m., with coverage starting at 1 p.m. with NFL Gameday Kickoff.
