The Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants were the only teams to leave the 2025 NFL Draft with two first-round selections. For the Falcons, the goal was clear: address their league-worst pass rush from the 2024 season. The Giants, on the other hand, believe they may have secured both the top pass-rusher in the draft and their future franchise quarterback in one sweep.
To make it happen, New York aggressively traded back into the first round, landing their quarterback of choice without sacrificing a future first-round pick—something the Falcons couldn’t avoid. The Giants moved up to the 25th pick to select Dart, but according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, he was just one of four players they were prepared to trade up for in Round 1.
Breer notes that the Giants had identified three potential threats to take a quarterback—Pittsburgh at No. 21, the Browns (who had draft capital after moving from No. 2 to No. 5), and the Saints, known for bold draft moves and needing a QB. With several options for trading up, New York had four prospects in mind worth jumping back into Round 1 from No. 34, with Dart as their quarterback of choice.
Though Dart ended up being their pick, speculation remains about who the other three targets were. Could one have been Shedeur Sanders, who slid further than expected? It’s uncertain, and those names might remain a mystery.
Following Dart, the Giants selected defensive tackle Darius Alexander and running back Cam Skattebo. It’s possible they also considered players like Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, or quarterback Tyler Shough—but ultimately, Dart might have been the only one they felt was worth the move up.
