7-round New York Giants mock draft: Nick Falato takes his swing

The New York Giants and the NFL world are less than one week away from the 2025 NFL Draft. Joe Schoen and company hold the third overall pick in a draft that has a consensus Big Three: Miami quarterback Cam Ward, Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, and Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter.

The Giants need for a long-term solution at quarterback, however, coincides with the presence of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, leading to a possible marriage between the two parties.

It appears like Tennessee is set at going Cam Ward at one and Browns’ general manager Andrew Barry recently compared Hunter to Los Angeles Dodgers phenom, Shohei Ohtani. The Giants are in a position to steer the draft one way or another at three; Schoen could select Carter, Sanders, or trade down — those seem like the three realistic options if Ward and Hunter are off the board.

Nevertheless, I do zero mock drafts during draft season. The mock draft below is my personal thoughts based on the board presented to me. Trades are available and I used Pro Football Focus’ simulator. This is the only mock draft I performed, so let’s explore the strategy.

Round 1, Pick 3: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

The board fell exactly as expected: Ward and Hunter, leaving Carter on the board for the Giants. I entertained trades and Shedeur Sanders, but ultimately settled on a blue chip pass rusher to bolster the front seven of the Giants and give Shane Bowen a third Pro Bowl caliber talent to pin his ears back and harass quarterbacks. Here is my synopsis on Carter’s skill-set:

There are few players in recent NFL drafts who have the type of pass rushing upside as Abdul Carter, which is one of the many reasons why he’s compared to Micah Parsons, among the obvious ones. Carter is an insanely sudden and quick athlete with a NEO like ability to avoid contact and contort his body around the punches of offensive tackles. Carter keeps forward momentum with elite control while exploding up the rushing arc. Few players win high side like Carter, and even fewer use their feet/hands so well together.

He gets his hips oriented into the pocket so fast and gets so low to avoid contact; when he is contacted, he does a good job staying balanced or angling his body to mitigate the strength of the contact. Carter is DANGEROUS in a phone booth, with a sensational inside spin move and rare speed to win through either shoulder. He also flashes power rush moves, albeit he’s more finesse right now. BUT his finesse is so fantastic, that offensive lineman are more susceptible to the power he does possess, for their ability to frame and engage Carter are hindered by his raw talent.

Carter will be selected as an edge to rush the passer and use his elite physical traits. He does offer value as a linebacker for a creative defensive coordinator; his best utilization as a LB is stacked, allowing him to scrape/flow to the football relatively unscathed. His eyes/ability to trigger are accentuated by his elite burst, albeit he’s still wild and did misjudge his path into the backfield as a LB prior to 2024.

I don’t want to say Carter is fool-proof, even though I love his tape and ability. There’s a non-zero chance that Carter may be targeted on early downs and could be exposed against better – more physical – teams in the trenches. On the flip side, he has room to grow into his body, he’s insanely athletic, and he only has one year as an EDGE. Sure, a defensive coordinator may have to get creative if Carter struggles to consistently defend the run, but his run defense ability in college doesn’t suggest a liability, just not a certainty; and his pass rushing skills are through the roof. It’s something to acknowledge, but not a deal breaker by any means.

If Carter works on his block shedding ability and his eyes to perceive the offensive intentions, along with adding some strength, he will be a massive asset as a run defender; and these are achievable feats considering the traits Carter possesses. There aren’t many players in consideration for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Carter is one of them and it’s easy to see why.

Round 2, Pick 34: Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama

Booker fell to 34 and I comfortably selected him for the Giants. The Giants need to solidify their offensive line long-term and Booker not only helps them do that, but also solidifies the rigtht side of the line for the Giants. The former Crimson Tide captain is a high floor player with left guard experience, but he also played 167 snaps as a freshman at right guard.

Booker allows the Giants to move Greg Van Roten to swing interior offensive lineman, provided that Booker is comfortable playing right guard again. Van Roten could possibly play center if John Michael Schmitz struggles to stabilize at center. I was strongly considering Ohio State defensive lineman Tyleik Williams and guard Donovan Jackson with the selection. Here is a synopsis on Booker’s play.

Tyler Booker is a technically sound mauler with a finishing mentality that would intrigue Mortal Kombat. He’s a plus run blocker and pass protector who is reliable, sturdy, strong, and smart. Booker washes the line of scrimmage as a down blocker and has enough balance/control to pull effectively despite less than ideal athletic ability. Violent 11-inch hands, long 34 ½” arms, and exceptional strength through his body allow him to dictate reps, as well as his impressive mirroring skills.

Booker is a high floor player who lacks high-end athletic traits, which was on full display in Indianapolis at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Still, few players have the footwork/framing, upper-body strength/hip-torque, patience/timing, and heavy hands that Booker possesses. There is so much to appreciate about Booker’s potential and his skill set. He should be a starter from day one. The Giants would be lucky to land Booker at Pick 34, and he would be a tone-setting fixture on their offensive line for years.

** TRADE **

The New York Giants traded the 65th selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars:

Jaguars receive: 65th selection

Giants receive: 70th selection, 107th selection

Round 3, Pick 70: Alfred Collins, DL Texas

The Giants strengthen their run defense with one of the best run stuffers in the class. Collins can two-gap, play a gap-and-a-half and be a vacuum in the trenches, opposite Dexter Lawrence. New York allowed the 26th most rushing yards per game (136) last season, and Shane Bowen had to alter his defense to shut the run down after Dexter Lawrence was placed on Injured Reserve.

Long are the days where the Giants had a deep rotation in the trenches. It was a desperate need last year, and it remains one heading into the draft. Collins would immediately be the second best defensive lineman on the Giants, and the floor and ceiling of Bowen’s unit would be significantly raised with the additions of Carter and Collins. Here is my synopsis of Collins’ play:

Alfred Collins is an elite run defender with excellent play strength and anchoring ability. He can easily absorb double-teams with a solid ability of finding space to split the DUO/COMBO, while displaying the intelligence, instincts, and hands to mitigate base, reach, and down blocks – he’s nearly immovable as a run defender and has an elite NFL body with rare length.

While Collins will excel as a run defender, he does not offer much as a pass rusher. He is a try hard rusher who occupies space, but fails to string moves together or effectively counter. His bull-rush and power moves are only modest and his superior run instincts failed to translate to his pass rushing profile; Collins also lacks ideal athletic traits to maximize his size and pass rushing ability. Still, there are few run defenders as sound and as reliable as Alfred Collins, making him a quality day two asset for a team.

Round 3, Pick 99: Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville

Schoen and Brian Daboll have done extensive work on Shough this offseason. The seven-year college player had his one healthy season in 2024 — his only with Louisville — and he threw 23 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 5.1% Big Time Throw Rate and a 1.8% Turnover Worthy Play Rate. If the Giants are serious about Shough, they’ll likely not allow him to fall to Pick 99, but we’re gaming the simulator here! I love his arm talent and his physical traits and see a lot of upside with the soon to be 26-year-old. Here is my synopsis of his play:

Tyler Shough is a gunslinger with good field vision and a lively arm that can make all the NFL throws. Shough’s arm talent is impressive, with the ability to provide touch/pacing to all levels of the field – the ball jumps out of his hands with incredible velocity when necessary. He changes his arm angles to throw through traffic and has several red zone touchdowns that were out of structure and required superior awareness to connect on backside throws.

Shough is not shy to attack vulnerabilities in the soft spot of zone coverage and he does well to lead receivers open against man coverage. He is a sufficient athlete for his size, but struggling to avoid the rush at the NFL level may be something he’ll have to overcome. From an arm talent perspective, there’s a lot to appreciate and value about Tyler Shough. However, he’s older with an extensive injury history, albeit all of his injuries were broken bones and not torn ligaments/tendons, for what it is worth.

Overall, there’s plenty of traits to roll the dice on with Tyler Shough; if he were younger – with a clean bill of health – his name would be more discussed – but he isn’t! Still, I would love to try and capture what we witnessed in 2024 at a value.

Round 4, Pick 105: Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State

Williams is a my guy. One of the more electrifying receivers in this draft class, who I believe is under-discussed and won’t be around on day three. Williams isn’t the biggest and he can drop some frustrating passes, but he is a fluid YAC machine who played bigger than his 6-foot, 186-pound frame would suggest. I want good football players — Williams is a good football player, and a value at Pick 105. This gives the Giants insurance if they want to allow Wan’Dale Robinson to walk, while acting as another dynamic weapon for the offense in 11 personnel packages. Here is my synopsis of his play:

Kyle Williams is an insanely quick and explosive separator with true YAC ability and a very high ceiling as a route runner. There are elements of his release and route running that could use refinement, but his body control and athletic traits provide a high floor. His film is littered with acrobatic downfield catches and screens taken to the house, but he does have an issue with drops – 21 in his career.

Williams is a joy to watch and is a big play waiting to happen for an offense. He’s stronger than his frame suggests, his routes are deceptively run to manipulate defenders, and he can align both outside or in the slot. He overcame sub-par quarterback play all season and still posted respectable numbers; he was open frequently down the field and was not targeted. Williams wins foot races, erases angles in space, and understands how to uncover against man and zone coverage. He is an exciting player who will have several plays designed for him at the next level, and he will offer much more than just that.

Round 4, Pick 107: Nohl Williams, CB, Cal

Similar to the other Williams (Kyle), this is a value selection. Nohl Williams is another my guy who fell way below where I have him stacked up, so I did not want to pass on a sticky man coverage cornerback with good vision in zone. Williams was named First-Team All-ACC after recording his seven interceptions which led the FBS. He only allowed a 48.5% catch rate, which ranked 5th best in college football of CBs that played at least 80% of their team’s snaps.

Williams did run a 4.50 40-yard-dash, which is not ideal. His explosive testing was not great, either, which could lead to a slide for the physical tackling cornerback. Athletic ability won’t necessarily be his calling card, but he understands how to cover, is instinctual in coverage, and is smooth. I watched him in early January, and enjoyed his tape. Here is my synopsis on him:

Nohl Williams is a competitor with excellent press-man upside, good overall man coverage skills, and the spatial awareness, eyes, and reactive ability to thrive as a zone defender. He understands leverage and positions himself well when mid-pointing – he does not panic and his confidence is evident beyond his constant jawing. Williams’ ball skills and ability to attack the football are sensational.

Williams has solid hit-stick strength when coming downhill in the flat – he fires out of a cannon – and he was able to be more accurate with his tackle aiming points in space, which was a big problem in 2023. He must be more disciplined with his hands; Williams can get grabby and overly physical, but I prefer that to a pusillanimous defender. Williams is not backing down from anything and he has the upside to be a lockdown press-man cornerback.

Round 5, Pick 154: Kyle Monangai, RB, Rutgers

I haven’t shut up about Monangai since September, and for good reason. Monangai has not fumbled the football through four seasons of play. He averages 3.33 yards after contact, has 178 missed tackles forced, and 78 runs over 10 yards. His 73 missed tackles forced ranked 6th in the FBS in 2023, and he forced 66 missed tackles in 2024. According to Pro Football Focus, he rushed 472 total times in a zone scheme and 194 times in a gap scheme. His talent is conducive to either.

The Giants need a more physical back to complement Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary, and Monangai fills the need. He’s not the most powerful back in the class, but he’s a hard decisive runner who will quickly become a fan favorite. Here is my synopsis on Monangai:

Kyle Monangai possesses an exceptional blend of one-cut explosiveness and downhill physicality. He sifts through the line of scrimmage in a controlled manner with the ability to promptly accelerate to get vertical or explode outside for a gain.

His combination of making people miss in space and punching defenders in the face (figuratively) is dangerous for the defense. He has excellent contact balance and a physical rushing style which allow him to thrive in between the tackles, and his lateral acceleration and burst are assets when he’s rushing outside the numbers.

Monangai thrived in a zone and DUO heavy rushing scheme due to his vision and adaptability. His explosiveness and acceleration through the hole make power/gap rushing no issue for the young back. He wasn’t a difference-making receiver in college. His pass protection is solid but could still be approved. While his speed is sufficient, he lacks top-end game-changing type of long speed. He may not be drafted as high as the grade below reflects, but he will become a future starter in the NFL.

Round 7, Pick 219: Jared Harrison-Hunte, DL, SMU

A sixth-year college football player, who spent five seasons at Miami before recording 44 pressures as a penetrating three-technique for SMU in 2024. Harrison-Hunte would challenge Elijah Chatman for a role and, ultimately, a roster spot. He’s 6’3, 290-pounds with 33-plus inch arms and excellent initial quickness that was displayed with his 1.69-10-yard-split at the combine. Harrison-Hunte would operate as a one-gap penetrator on passing downs.

Round 7, Pick 246: Collin Oliver, EDGE, Oklahoma State

Oliver burst onto the scene at Oklahoma State and was the Big-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2021. He recorded 40 pressures and 21 STOPs as a freshman in just 374 snaps. He followed up his epic freshman season with 39 pressures and 18 STOPs as a sophomore in 461 snaps and 41 pressures and 49 STOPs as a junior in 2023. He only played two games (40 total snaps) in 2024 before suffering a right foot injury, but he had 14 pressures, two sacks, and two stops in those two games.

Collin Oliver is a relentless pressure artist with sub-par measurables — they are very poor: 30¾-inch arms at 6’2. He missed a surprising 27.6% of his tackles in college. He had over a 30% missed tackle rate as a freshman and a sophomore – concerning! Still, Oliver is a tough player to frame up and his short-area movement skills – plus his ability to move laterally – allow him to create pressure as a pass rusher. He was Second-Team All-Big-12 three times (2021-2023), and would have likely earned First-Team if he kept up his HOT pace from the first two weeks of the season. Oliver would be a situational pass rusher behind Carter, Thibodeaux, Golston, and Burns. Here is my synopsis of Oliver, who the Giants did have in for a Top-30 visit:

Collin Oliver is a quick accelerating defensive player with very good explosive skills; he plays low with good force into contact and sufficient bend to tightly turn corners to maneuver his way around offensive tackles. Oliver’s measurables – specifically his sub-31” arms – are his critical vulnerability and they render him more as a nickel-pass rusher or a hybrid-LB with upside as a rusher. His explosive nature translates going forward when attacking and wasn’t evident in space or when dropping into coverage.

Overall, Oliver was productive in college with several pass rushing moves and an ability to separate; he maximized his good play strength with elite leverage when coming forward, and his football IQ allowed him to counter and find solutions when one-on-one. He may start as a situational sub-package player but his explosiveness may allow him to carve an early downs role out as a penetrating disruptor.