Our Latest Three-round New York Giants Mock Draft

A big trade at the top of this mock draft yields potential value.

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) during the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

I don’t envy New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen or head coach Brian Daboll, who face some “make-or-break” offseason decisions.

With their respective seats already hot following team co-owner John Mara’s statement that he’s running out of patience with the pair, made the day after the team finished its worst season in franchise history with a 3-14 record yet decided to give the two men a grace period, it’s probably not a stretch to say that the duo’s margin for error when it comes to personnel decisions is razor thin.

The biggest decision that Schoen and Daboll cannot afford to botch involves the quarterback. The team currently has Tommy DeVito, an exclusive rights free agent, under contract, but beyond that, there are decisions to be made.

Who, for instance, will be the veteran bridge quarterback? Will they trade for Matthew Stafford of the Rams, who has shown he can deliver in the clutch despite his age and some durability issues and would probably make a good mentor for a rookie?

Or will the Giants roll the dice on one of the top quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, and hope that whoever falls to them puts what Jayden Daniels did with the Commanders last season to shame?

Beyond the quarterback situation is the defense, which desperately needs playmakers. 

Should the Giants ignore a potential playmaker in Colorado’s Travis Hunter if he’s there at No. 3? Can the Giants maybe look to trade down and still get the apple of their eye while also stockpiling draft picks?

It’s going to be an interesting offseason, for sure. While we wait to see how the plan Schoen and Daboll presented to ownership, which earned them a grace period, unfolds, we ran our own three-round Giants mock draft using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator.

Mock away!

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R1, No. 6 (TRADE, Las Vegas Raiders): CB Travis Hunter, Colorado

Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter after winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy. / Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via Imagn Images

In this scenario, the Raiders, who draft sixth, offered a second-round pick and their 2026 first-rounder, which made the offer tempting enough. 

But once edge rusher Abdul Carter and quarterback Cam Ward, two guys who would have been no-brainer picks at No. 3, were selected, leaving a choice of Sanders or Hunter, we decided to roll the dice. We figured the trade offer was for the Raiders to grab Sanders, which they did in this simulation.

The trade offer was too good to pass up. The Giants acquired an extra pick in the top 100 plus the extra first-round pick, which can be used in 2026 when there should be more quarterback options, which sealed the deal.  

Hunter, meanwhile, was a no-brainer for the pick. The Giants desperately need a playmaking cornerback, and while we still think they may look to land one in free agency, with Hunter sitting there, there was no justifying passing on Hunter at pick No. 6 in this simulation.

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R2, No. 34: SAF Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) holds up the Sugar Bowl Outstanding Defensive Player trophy after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

If the Giants lose safety Jason Pinnock in free agency–and that development wouldn’t be a surprise—they would have Tyler Nubin and Dane Belton as the most experienced of the group. 

While it was tempting to take a defensive lineman here, with the Giants going on the clock again in three picks and the defensive line class being so deep, it didn’t hurt to wait. 

Enter Watts, 6-0 and 203 pounds, the unanimous choice for All-American honors and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner in 2023. Watts is a solid run defender who packs a punch when he hits someone. 

With his style of play and strengths, Watts should be able to help fix the run defense on a Giants team that has struggled.

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R2, No. 37: IDL Deone Walker, Kentucky 

Sep 10, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive tackle Deone Walker (0) reacts after making a tackle against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Besides quarterback and cornerback, the Giants' interior defensive line is easily among their biggest needs. In this mock, it is addressed with Walker, the big-bodied Kentucky stud who, like Dexter Lawrence II, moves well for his size (6-6 and 345 pounds). 

During his college career, Walker didn’t get caught up in the wash often, showing the strength to get off blocks and make plays. And like Lawrence, Walker has shown the ability to eat up multiple gaps, which was enticing. 

Potentially pairing Walker with Lawerence vastly upgrades the defensive line, which, once a team strength, has been reduced to Lawrence and not much else.

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Round 3, No. 65: QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Feb 1, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; American team quarterback Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss (2) during the first half of the 2025 Senior Bowl football game against the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Yes, the Giants need to take a quarterback, and with the signal caller, who reportedly is the third-best on their board, sitting there in the third round (yes, this is probably unrealistic, but again, we go based on what the simulator shows us at the time of selection), here is where we made the move.

Just as what was likely the plan last year had the Giants been able to trade up for a quarterback, I can’t see the Giants throwing a rookie into the deep end of the pool right from Day 1. 

The last thing the Giants want to do is rush a quarterback onto the field. They did that with Daniel Jones in 2019, and while he didn’t have a bad rookie season, one can’t help but wonder if he might have been even better had then head coach Pat Shurmur not been in such a hurry to rush him onto the field.

As for Dart, if he develops to the point where he can eventually take over the offense’s reins, great. If he doesn’t, remember, in this mock, the Giants have an extra first-round pick to use next year when the quarterback class figures to offer more options. 

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