Giants Get Franchise Quarterback in Round 2 of New Mock Draft

New York Giants On SI writer Stephen Lebitsch unveils his Giants mock draft and throws in a twist that not many people might see coming.

Nov 3, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; A New York Giants helmet rests on the turf before the game between the Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

For just the third rendition in my journey writing for New York Giants on SI, I have certainly read and mocked my fair share of potential prospects to the Giants, but neither of the prior two exercises feels as consequential as this one. 

The Giants have found themselves at this significant crossroads, entering year four of the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime, which hasn’t gone entirely to plan. Team ownership has placed an order upon them: stack some more wins in 2025 or else, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what’s truly important in the long-term stability of the franchise.

Thus, Schoen and Daboll have jumped into the onset of the offseason with that win-now mentality playing over and over again in their heads, and it has greatly influenced their recent moves in free agency, headlined by signing two veteran quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, to bring their experience into the Giants' offense.

However, as attention turns towards the NFL Draft in Green Bay starting April 24, everyone wants to know whether New York will take another gunslinger at the top of the board. Will they prioritize the organization's future at the most critical position or delay that decision amid uncertainty for the talent coming out of this year’s class? 

Again, it all comes back to how the Giants’ current regime views their job security and if they’d have a franchise guy to mold out of the present options. Many can still influence their opinion between now and night one, but I will try to add to the tireless marathon of mock drafts with my thoughts on how things could turn out for the Giants in all seven rounds.

The Giants entered free agency with around $45 million in cap space, an improvement from their dire cap situation a year ago when they could barely spend on premier talent. They’ve dished out funds to retool parts of their defense and offensive line at the forefront, but more holes must be plugged. 

So, with eight draft picks at their disposal, including a compensatory third-round pick they acquired at No. 99 as a result of losing more free agents than they signed in 2024, there are plays to be made on both sides of the ball, and Scheon has an opportunity to stack two good drafts in a row.

Using , here are my projections for all of the Giants’ selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. I also consulted prospect rankings, positional values, and scouting reports.

R1, No. 3: CB/WR Travis Hunter 

Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 185 lbs. | Class: Junior | College: Colorado

Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Colorado defensive back Travis Hunter (DB15) looks on during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If you’re like me, you are probably getting tired of hearing the same old question again about whether the Giants are still going to attack the quarterback position at No. 3 or if their win-now mindset will influence their decision.

The recent signings of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston have made the possibility of that outcome a little less clear. The Giants don’t have those two veterans signed to be long-term options, but there are different reports out there as to their interest in taking quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the top three, given that the 2025 class isn’t as highly regarded as the 2024 class was. 

With Cam Ward likely out of reach for New York (which he was in this mock going No. 2 to Cleveland after Tennessee selected Abdul Carter), many believe the first option for the Giants would be Sanders, whom they’ve been the most linked to all throughout the pre-draft process. Still, there isn’t as much pressure to force the pick if Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll don’t love him to be the franchise savior.

I don’t believe they will do that here at their first pick of the draft. Instead, I have them selecting Colorado cornerback-wide receiver Travis Hunter after my preferred choice of Carter was taken off the board at No. 1 and taking the route of the best prospect available who can offer a significant impact on both sides of the ball. 

Pivoting to Hunter isn’t as much of a “must have” play in terms of roster need, but it wouldn’t hurt to have his depth on the roster at both cornerback and wide receiver. Schoen invested a bunch of cap space in free agency to fortify the secondary with the signings of Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland, who both project to be starters for Shane Bowen’s defense in 2025. 

However, adding Hunter gives them a guy who can step in and compliment Adebo as the other outside corner, given Deonte Banks, the Giants’ 2023 first-round pick, is still trying to get up to speed with NFL competition.

Meanwhile, his offensive talents, which include great athleticism and ball skills, would form an incredible tandem with Malik Nabers and an extra-electric perimeter target for Russell Wilson to thread the football in an upgraded huddle. 

Just imagine how improved the Giants offense, which was bottom-three in total production last season, can look with Wilson, who can still sling it better than any option the team had in 2024, under center and an arsenal that includes promising running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. Nabers, Hunter, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and tight end Theo Johnson? 

Hunter had a fantastic junior season with the Buffaloes, finishing fifth in the nation with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards, 15 touchdowns, and an average catch of 13.1 yards. His defensive stat sheet read 35 total tackles, four interceptions, a forced fumble, and 11 pass deflections as a premier coverage guy with an eye for the football and forcing turnovers that helped him win the Heisman Trophy. 

I suspect the Giants will focus Hunter more heavily at the cornerback position so that their secondary doesn’t get torched again, and interestingly enough, the non-Sanders gamble pays off in quite an intriguing way as the franchise turns their attention to their second-round pick.

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R2, No. 34: QB Shedeur Sanders

Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 215 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: Colorado 

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) takes a hike in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

While nobody expected this year’s draft class to feature as many quarterbacks taken off the board in the first round, the way the Giants' positional dominos fell after they passed on Sanders in round one created a unique scenario that hasn’t been seen yet in any mocks and could stun some around the league if it became a reality. 

After tabbing Hunter, the Giants returned to the quarterback pool at No. 34 and selected his college teammate at Colorado, Shedeur Sanders. The two recently toyed on their podcast with the idea of possibly playing together in the same NFL city, and Giants fans could at least share in their dream in this mock. 

Again, just because the Giants elected not to go with Sanders when he was available at No. 3 doesn’t mean they aren’t concerned about the position's future. They just didn’t see the value of taking him there, and neither did the rest of the league, as Sanders fell into round 2 and his other fellow prospects fell as far as the fourth and fifth rounds. 

Thus, if the Giants do have an interest in pairing Sanders with Brian Daboll should the regime stay intact beyond the 2025 season, why not do it right at this pick and provide the coach with two of the best playmakers in college football who happened to play on the same field together. 

This isn’t to say there still weren’t any qualms about going quarterback at this stage of the draft, either. The Giants could have gotten their hands on a slew of highly ranked wide receiver and interior defensive lineman prospects that were flying off the board, including Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, who went just three picks before Sanders.

It just felt too early to address either one of those when several of the top gunslingers were still available, and there is no guarantee the Giants can afford to wait until next season to find their rookie arm. They have built up immense familiarity with Sanders and how his game can translate to the NFL level, and it made sense to pull the trigger on the project guy.

Sanders, 23, is coming off one of the best and most accurate throwing campaigns in Division I football last season. He led the nation with a 74% completion percentage on his passes, which racked up a career-high 4,134 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. 

He has almost a fundamental style of football that features a good touch on the pigskin, complete control of where he places the ball for his receivers, and serviceable toughness and mobility to extend plays outside of the pocket. Any other weaknesses can surely be cleaned up by learning behind a quarterback-minded coaching staff and veterans who can show him how to excel in the Big Apple. 

Sanders has made a name for himself by turning around two once-bad programs, Jackson State and Colorado, which had just two conference games in the two years preceding his arrival. He is undoubtedly a special player and could become the next market hero if he does it again with New York.

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R3, No. 65: OT Jonah Savaiinaea

Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 336 lbs. | Class: Junior | College: Arizona

Nov 25, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea (71) against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With arguably the two most significant needs on the Giants' draft board accomplished, the next area of concern on the list was offensive line depth, particularly on the edges at the tackle positions where the team had some problems, and this class’s best names were flying off the board. 

One of the biggest issues with the position has been the injuries that have taken a toll on the consistency of the Giants' entire offensive line. The franchise has a stud left tackle in Andrew Thomas, who can be one of the greatest blindside protectors when he is healthy, but that hasn’t been the case in the last two seasons when he suffered lower-body ailments early in the year. 

The right side of the offensive front hasn’t been fortified, either. Adding Jermaine Eluemenor in free agency helped give some veteran experience and strength against premier pass rushers. Again, the quality didn’t hold up when he was banged up, and the backups in Josh Ezeudu and Evan Neal haven’t panned out to where a lack of beef up front saw the Giants skid from top 10 in team pass rush win rate to 26th by the end of the 2024 season. 

Joe Schoen spent some money bringing in two free-agent swing tackles, James Hudson III from Cleveland and Stone Forsythe from Seattle, but neither has posted impressive resumes nor has the full-time starter background the Giants need. So, reaching out and getting a prospect with both things in Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea made perfect sense. 

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 336 pounds, the Samoan national is a behemoth up front, having spent three years as a starter for the Wildcats. He also played in three separate spots on the school’s offensive line—beginning with a right guard during his freshmen campaign and then transitioning to a swing tackle in 2023 and 2024. 

In 36 games played in that span, Savaiinaea graded as high as 75.9 in pass blocking while allowing just eight sacks and five quarterback hits. He can step into the guard slots to open up big rushing lanes in zone schemes, and he uses his excellent hands and footwork to help him establish an advantage off of the snap. 

Savaiinaea is also very agile on his feet, and he can perform with elite outside edge rushers, exotic blitz combinations, and counter moves. This is a key asset that can help him get some time on the field if Thomas or Eleumenor gets hurt again and potentially offers the quarterback extra time to escape the pocket and evade pressure.  

He just needs to put on a little more strength, and he can become like some of the other dominant Samoan blockers in the NFL. The pick also gives the Giants a better opportunity to train Evan Neal at guard since they might want to explore that before determining whether he has a future with the organization.

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R3, No. 99: DI JJ Pegues

Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 325 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: Ole Miss

Jan 30, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; The East team celebrates after East defensive lineman JJ Pegues of Ole Miss (89) intercepts a pass during the second half against the West at AT&T Stadium. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Similarly to the Giants' first selection of the third round, it was time to act on the interior defensive line, and the search ended with Ole Miss product and defensive tackle JJ Pegues. 

While the Giants have had a pretty good core of defensive ends in their system, the interior of the trenches is where some concern was discovered this past season after All-Pro stuffer Dexter Lawrence II had his season-ending by an elbow injury in Week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Giants were never really a great unit when it came to stopping the run, but their efforts only worsened once the team’s 340-pound veteran and sacks leader hit the bench for the final quarter of the 2024 season.

Lawrence’s heroics helped buoy New York to 10th in run-stop win rate as a team, but they still allowed an average of 136.2 yards per contest, 4.6 per play, and 18 touchdowns on the ground that ranked near the league's basement.

As good as the defense can become in combating the passing attack with an edge rush presence and an improved secondary, it won’t mean much if they can’t fortify the inside and stop opposing running backs from 100+ yard outings, which happened 13 different times last season. That included two 200+ yard games in Weeks 2 and 7, the latter powered by Saquon Barkley’s return to MetLife Stadium with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

That’s where Pegues comes in and tries to help the cause and add an extra body to the defensive interior that isn’t so strong yet. He was a three-year player with the Rebels, playing in 1,455 total snaps. In his past season, he rose to the 141st positional prospect in the nation with a 74.6 PFF grade. 

In that span, Pegues has rallied 10 sacks, nine quarterback hits, 48 hurries, and five pass deflections. His biggest assets are his versatility to shoot the gaps—A, B, and over the tackle—from different spots and his relentless energy and aggressiveness in getting to the ball carrier or quarterback. 

Pegues plays with speed and agility off the snap, enabling him to win on the interior and the edge or create open lanes for his teammates to raise the pressure. He deploys an elite change of direction and quickness over the line of scrimmage, which can wear out opposing linemen and come in handy when attempting to stop an offense's goalline draw. 

What’s more interesting is that he also has an offensive background as a former tight end in his first year with Ole Miss and one year at Auburn. That means he can be used as an extra blocker in jumbo packages to boost the Giants' run game or a fullback to punch the football over the endzone on the other end of the field. 

His only downsides are his age (24) and his lack of quality length, but if he can get stronger and work on the processing and timing of the NFL level, he can be molded into a nice depth piece for the Giants.

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R4, No. 105: WR Nick Nash

Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 195 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: San Jose State 

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans wide receiver Nick Nash (3) catches a touchdown pass while under pressure from Stanford Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright (6) in the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Nash set the San Jose State Spartans all-time record for touchdown receptions in a season. / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

I’m sure many reading this mock will ask why the Giants would go the wide receiver route again in Round 5, given they’ve already selected one in Travis Hunter and brought back Darius Slayton and Zach Pascal in free agency. The harsh graders over at PFF posed the same response based on the individual grade I received for the pick. 

However, the Giants’ wide receivers corps isn’t as secure past the 2025 season. The team has struggled to find Jaylin Hyatt a role in the offense, and there have been reports of his dissatisfaction, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he becomes a trade bait by the deadline.

The Giants also have to decide on a contract extension for slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, along with several other players from Joe Schoen’s 2022 draft class. 

The two sides will likely reach an agreement because Robinson has had a good role in the aerial production with two 60+ catch seasons, but it doesn’t hurt to add some more quality depth behind Malik Nabers and a potential young quarterback down the line.

When I still saw Nick Nash available at the start of the fourth round, I knew I had to jump on one of college football's most productive pass catchers. Nash finished second in the nation with 104 receptions for 1,382 yards (13.3 average) and 16 touchdowns, a stat line that beat out everyone in the Giants huddle while playing for a non-power five school in San Jose State. 

Nash is another versatile player who can be plugged into different roles in the offense. He thrives on the perimeter with really good size and length. He displays impressive footwork and can reach top speed on his releases, which makes him another threat vertically for opposing defenses. 

Most teams will try to contain those skills by putting press man corners on him, but he is extremely smart and knows how to attack leverages with different controlled movements and releases that make him look like a dancer on the field. 

Don’t be shocked if the Giants want to get creative with Nash with some passing fakes, as the receiver has a background as a quarterback from his first few seasons with the Spartans. Brian Daboll sometimes loves to be a risk-taker, and Nash would allow him to diversify the offense. 

He graded out at an 85.0 PFF mark and 21st among 1,000+ players this past season, meaning this could be a steal for the Giants franchise that not too long ago hit on a fifth-rounder in Slayton. He has remained a constant part of their aerial production.

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R5, No. 154: LB Jay Higgins

Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 232 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: Iowa

Iowa's Jay Higgins (34) lines up against Iowa State during the Cy-Hawk game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Giants’ inside linebacker room has established a nice veteran combination between Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden, two of the team’s highest tacklers in their respective tenures. Still, the depth behind them is a question mark, and that stood out more when one or both were sidelined with injuries this past season. 

Okereke and McFadden finished the 2024 campaign in the Giant's top three defensive players, along with rookie safety Tyler Nubin. They combined for 200 tackles (14 for loss), five sacks, and four forced fumbles. At the same time, the two veterans missed six games in that same span, and the Giants didn’t have another player in the position who could produce at a high volume. 

Rookie Darius Muasau stepped up admirably later in the season when Okereke was shut down with a back injury and produced 55 tackles and a few pass deflections, but the Giants had to rotate through practice squad pieces when McFadden was ailing, leaving the team with a gaping hole up the middle. 

That is largely why the team struggled to slow down the run: They lacked experience from not having their veterans clogging up the lanes. New York gave up the 24th-highest average carry to their opponents, which inflated them to 6.0 yards per play and killed their chances of setting up long third—and fourth-down situations. 

So where can they turn in the draft to find a defensive run specialist? Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins was sitting right there at pick 154 to bring a third 100+ tackler into the fold. The fifth-year senior Hawkeye exploded in his last two years with the program, notching 171 and 124 tackles with 3.5 sacks and eight total turnovers. 

Higgins has played in over 309 run defense snaps since the start of the 2023 season and hasn’t missed more than 15 tackles in any of his years as a starting inside linebacker. As a top 30 graded run stopper in the Big 10, he forced 25 stops and averaged one of the best depth of run targets at 3.7 yards before making contact with the ball carrier. 

The Giants interior has been missing those elements of speed and toughness through contact lately, and a boost can help when injuries only worsen the problem. I like grabbing a proven producer in the fifth round and seeing if he can find a long-term role in the linebacker position.

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R7, No. 219: OG Marcus Wehr

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 300 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: Montana State

The Giants guard position was another area the front office targeted last offseason, bringing in Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten, who had ties to offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo from Las Vegas, to strengthen the middle of the front from being a direct rushing lane to the quarterback. 

Unfortunately, the results weren’t as great as initially expected. Van Roten was the most durable player in the position group and the highest-graded pass blocker at a 64.9 PFF score (62.3 in run snaps). The Giants resigned Van Roten to another one-year deal in free agency along with Aaron Stinnie. Still, the lack of competitive production led the team to bring another guard to spice up depth chart competition in training camp. 

It’s not a big name from a big-time school, but Montana State’s Marcus Wehr was one of the best remaining options for a seventh-round selection. By the end of three seasons with the Bobcats, Wehr rose to the third-highest ranked guard prospect out of 639 PFF’s 2025 big board, holding an 89.2 overall blocking grade. 

Wehr played in a career-high 935 snaps, with 568 snaps coming in rushing plays and 367 for the passing game. He was almost crystal clear in the latter realm, never giving up a sack in three seasons and only allowing nine total pressures under his protection. 

At 6’4” and 300 lbs, Wehr has some work to do to get a little stronger, but he has some decent length to contest shifty pass rushers and beefy run-stoppers. He likely even knows some of the tricks of their trade, as he held former defensive tackle experience before he switched sides to right guard and a sprinkle of right tackle work in 2024. 

It all worked out for him in the end with the transition, though. Wehr earned top-ten grades in FCS play and is catching scouts' attention with his powerful initial punch and lower body motor, which move defensive linemen out of the way and create nice rushing lanes for the ball carrier. 

His ceiling is likely a developmental piece to start, but perhaps with some good development in Bricillo’s system, the Giants can mold him into a great gap scheme guard. If Van Roten doesn’t stick around, his role could grow beyond 2025, and at worst, it’s depth that the organization can’t get enough of on the offensive line.

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R7, No. 246: Edge Johnny Walker Jr.

Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 255 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: Missouri

Dec 30, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. (15) sneaks a peak into the backfield against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Nissan Stadium. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

In my final selection for the Giants, I wanted to address a position area that isn’t barren by any stretch, but neglecting it in the edge rushing room wouldn't hurt. 

Last offseason, the edge position marked the Giants’ most significant move as Joe Schoen traded for All-Pro edge rusher Brian Burns and signed him to a mega deal worth $28.2 million annually to serve as the franchise’s lead pocket disruptor. 

The seasoned veteran from Carolina formed a good duo with Kayvon Thibodeaux, and they both headlined the defense with a combined 13.5 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, and 10 pass deflections. Those feats carried the Giants late in the year when Dexter Lawrence II was lost amid a record-setting pressure campaign he was having that still led with nine sacks and kept them in many close games.

As a result, the Giants finished among the top 15 teams in pass rush win rate (41%), and those two players also fell in the top 20 for the position group. It was one of the shining strengths of their team in a 3-14 year despite some deficiencies on the back two levels, but that could be a different story as the 2025 season progresses. 

The Giants lost Azeez Ojulari, one of their final draft picks from the Dave Gettleman era, after they signed Charles Golston in free agency from the Cowboys. That allowed the former second-round pick to walk to the Philadelphia Eagles, who recently signed him as one of multiple ex-Giants now at the NFC East rival. 

Ojulari had missed six games in the last two seasons and only made seven contests in the 2022 campaign, leaving his role too diminished to sign him to a long-term extension despite giving the Giants 22 sacks and six forced turnovers in four seasons. 

Golston will be a nice replacement for that void after he finished second on Dallas with 5.5 sacks and 37 pressures, ranked seventh highest in the division. He’ll be the third pass rusher behind the starters above, but all could get moved up the board depending on what happens with Thibodeaux’s looming extension. 

If the Giants don’t sign him to a new deal or use the fifth-year club option, their former first-round pick becomes a free agent, and it would leave a huge hole up front that requires an extra man to replace him. That’s why the Giants can look ahead of that potential fallout and bring in Johnny Walker Jr. as an insurance policy for the edge rushing room. 

The three-year Missouri Tiger played in 33 games over that time and rose to become one of the biggest producers for his school in the SEC competition. He played in 555 snaps, including 284 in the passing attack, and tallied 10 sacks, six hits, and 34 hurries while scoring a solid 15.4% pass rush win rate by himself. 

Walker can play both on the line in a 3-4 alignment or be stood up off the ball, where he took some reps back in college. The latter is a sneaky need for New York as their roster is currently constructed and helps shore up any weaknesses they might have on the edge.

Above all, this last pick is simply the Giants showing another instance of learning their lesson that there is no such thing as enough depth when you’ve been the most susceptible to injury problems in recent seasons. The edge position has also become the most premium to long-term success—just ask the Eagles who rode theirs to a title in Suoer Bowl LIX.

Walker Jr. gives the Giants a promising prospect who slipped through the cracks. If they don’t deem Thibodeaux worth dishing out top dollar after four inconsistent seasons with the franchise, they'll have team control at a cheaper price. 

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