New Two-Round Mock Draft Offers Headscratching Scenario for Giants

The Giants will aim to fill several roster gaps in the upcoming NFL draft, but this new mock draft predicts a peculiar outcome.

Nov 16, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton (28) runs as Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive back Nick Andersen (45) defends in the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Since their terrible 2024 season concluded, the New York Giants have been involved in endless prospect discussions and mock draft scenarios, most of which have revolved around the quarterback position for the past several weeks. 

That shouldn’t surprise anyone, as who will command the huddle next season and beyond is the most important decision that general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will have to make as they retool the roster. Still, they will have other picks to toy with, and spots to be concerned about that were impacted by injuries or inconsistent production this past fall. 

The most common areas of concern should be the offensive line, which started strong before dropping in pass protection with ailments piling up, and the young secondary, which desperately needs an influx of veteran talent to mentor and balance out the unit so that it can compete with the league’s best pass catchers. 

While most of the mock drafts have offered practical solutions for those issues, there is the latest one by The Athletic’s NFL writers Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman that is bound to raise some eyebrows among the Giants faithful. 

In their recent two-round mock draft, which analyzes the first 64 selections for April’s festivities, they offer a head-scratching scenario for New York: landing their quarterback of the future in Miami’s Cam Ward in round one before taking a ball carrier in University of North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton. 

The selection of Ward is by no means a problem in this outcome. Depending on what side of the aisle one falls on, the Heisman runner-up is arguably the best quarterback prospect in the 2025 class, with the experience and arm talent to have a very high ceiling at the NFL level for the Giants franchise. 

Where the intrigue is lost in this mock scenario is the latter selection of Hampton at 34th overall. In a draft where there isn’t much of an emphasis on the running back position, the 21-year-old and No. 2 graded rusher by PFF being taken as the second back to a Giants organization that has no serious need to snag another rookie off the board makes no real sense.

Nov 16, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton (28) scores a touchdown as Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive back Nick Andersen (45) defends in the fourth quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Hampton, a three-year player with the Tar Heels, certainly had an accomplished collegiate resume playing in the ACC. It includes two 1,500-yard seasons with 15 touchdowns each and an average haul of 5.9 yards.

He was one of the most elusive ball carriers in the nation, with a high rating of 126.8. He stands atop the competition with an average of 4.35 yards made after contract and 72 missed tackles. The passing game was also in his repertoire, with a career-high 38 receptions for 373 yards and two scores in the air attack. 

Sacrificing an important early draft choice on Hampton’s talents still doesn’t move the needle for what needs to be improved by the Giants this time around. 

Their rushing department might have seemed destitute after losing Saquon Barkley to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency last offseason. Still, they found something potentially special with soon-to-be sophomore back Tyrone Tracy Jr.

There weren’t intended to be heavy expectations for Tracy after he didn’t come out until the fifth round. He was slated to work behind the veteran Devin Singletary, whom the Giants quickly signed in free agency to fill Barkley’s void. 

After four games when Singletary went down with a groin injury, the Giants threw Tracy into the spotlight and discovered just how much of an incredible value they caught in that late-round choice. 

The rookie led the charge the remainder of the season, notching 192 carries for 839 yards and five touchdowns while adding another 284 yards with his hands to become the latest Giants’ 1,000 yard rookie duo with Malik Nabers. 

With such a promising debut performance, the Giants can be confident that they’ve found a new rushing identity behind their novice running back and can maintain that decent dual-threat element with Singletary beside him under contract.

Even then, there is always the chance for an extra upgrade as other experienced backs are bound to fall off the back of the truck in free agency as well. 

Thus, it wouldn’t behoove the Giants to follow the suggestion of this mock draft and waste an important pick on a prospect who was one of the best in the country and can strengthen the backfield but isn’t their utmost priority.

Schoen should instead be utilizing the asset to cover one of the after-mentioned positions and add depth that will better withstand the roster for a long 17-game season. 

Securing a cornerback or a high-valued offensive lineman seems like the best option at this point, especially considering the Giants could lose some veteran pieces like Adoree Jackson and Greg Van Roten in those areas during the open market frenzy.

However, injuries have also centered around them and made it hard for the Giants to stay afloat in a competitive landscape that includes their own improved division.

The Giants must attack these issues in the first few rounds before the thought of creating more running back depth becomes a privilege they can play with. The chance will always be there to take a flier on a guy on a day 3 bid, and it’s hard to fathom many of this year’s prospects going well before that period of the draft. 

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