The New York Giants are once again searching for a franchise quarterback, a critical need for their roster. With the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, however, they may miss out on the top two quarterbacks in the class.
To prepare for this possibility, the Giants need a backup plan. If they do lose out on the top two quarterbacks, they could opt to take the “best player available” with the third pick, securing an elite talent, and then get creative in adding a quarterback later.
In this mock draft, Miami QB Cam Ward is selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans, and Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders goes second overall to the Las Vegas Raiders (who traded up with the Cleveland Browns to secure their quarterback). So, where does that leave the Giants?
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With the third overall pick, the Giants select Travis Hunter from Colorado, a player regarded as the best in the draft. Hunter is a rare talent who excels as both a cornerback and a wide receiver. In 2024, he made history by winning both the Chuck Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year) and the Fred Biletnikoff Award (Wide Receiver of the Year), as well as the Heisman Trophy, marking him as the best player in college football that year. He had a standout season with 1,258 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns, 11 pass defenses, and four interceptions. Hunter’s dual-threat potential could elevate the Giants on both offense and defense. But the question remains: what about quarterback?
Instead of selecting in the second round, the Giants could trade up into the first round to land their quarterback. In this scenario, they trade their second-round pick (No. 34), a fifth-round pick (No. 155), and a 2026 second-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for their first-round pick (No. 24) and a fifth-round pick (No. 161). At No. 24, the Giants pick Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, who has raised his draft stock with a strong performance at the Senior Bowl. Dart could now be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, with some teams ranking him ahead of Shedeur Sanders, who is projected as a top-five pick.
Dart had a record-breaking 2024 season, throwing for 4,279 yards and a 29-6 TD-INT ratio. He broke Eli Manning’s career passing record at Ole Miss and had a stellar three-year run as the team’s starter. Although the 2025 NFL Draft was initially considered a two-quarterback class with Ward and Sanders leading the way, Dart’s rise makes it a legitimate three-quarterback class. This is significant for the Giants, who could miss out on the top two quarterbacks but still secure their future by selecting Dart in the first round.
