What Position and Player Have Been Widely Mocked to Giants?

Pro Football Network's data shows how the public is leaning so far regarding the Giants' No. 3 pick in this year's draft.

2025 NFL Draft sign on Sept. 2, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. / Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

Because of the team's gaping hole at quarterback and the abundance of impactful defensive players in the 2025 prospect class, there are multiple schools of thought on what the New York Giants should do with the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft.

Should they prioritize quarterback if either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders is still available? Is an outstanding athlete like cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter a more practical choice for a team that lacks playmakers on both sides of the ball? Or would it be better to trade down and stockpile future assets?

The questions are unrelenting and will continue until the first round begins on April 24 at the Green Bay Packers' Lambeau Field. Pro Football Network is doing its best to organize all the dissenting opinions into a digestible form of data.

With its mock draft simulator, Pro Football Network measures the public's latest trends. As of mid-February, a two-week sample size determined that 41.6 percent of users selected as the Giants sought to address the quarterback position. Therefore, Ward was the most popular player selected at No. 3, coming in at 22.3 percent.

Cornerback was preferred 24.5 percent of the time, as Giants users scooped up Hunter at a 19.5 percent rate. Sanders is the third-most drafted player at 17.4 percent, edge rusher Abdul Carter (8.8), and defensive tackle Mason Graham (5.7) round out the top five. There is plenty to unpack here.

It is particularly interesting to see Pro Football Network’s simulator pass over Cam Ward in so many instances, allowing a decent chunk of Giants mock drafters to grab him at No. 3. Most analysts expect either the Tennessee Titans or Cleveland Browns to select the Davey O'Brien Award recipient and Miami Hurricanes standout.

Pro Football Network’s system might not share that viewpoint, but at least not in these instances. One would assume that Shedeur Sanders would have totaled the highest percentage based on the likelihood of him being available when New York is on the clock. Regardless, Big Blue fans are putting great emphasis on finding a new quarterback.

Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward speaks on stage during a press conference before the 2024 Heisman Trophy Presentation. / Lucas Boland / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Giants might deem it more beneficial to get their future quarterback in the draft.

And understandably so. The 2025 free agency pool is not an ideal place for the franchise to find its next cornerstone. 

Although Pro Bowler Sam Darnold is young enough to inspire optimism going forward, he is a prime candidate to be grossly overpaid. Justin Fields has potential but has yet to make a significant jump as a passer. The other viable options are veteran bridge guys like Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston.

The 2025 NFL Draft offers general manager Joe Schoen the best and most financially flexible opportunity to fill the quarterback slot this offseason. Ward and Sanders each come with flaws, but they posted big numbers at the college position and possess respective skills that can translate to the pros.

Perhaps New York will pounce on Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter if it has the chance and postpone its long-term signal-caller search until later in the draft or next year. He has the potential to morph into a top NFL cornerback who can occasionally lineup at receiver.

However, when people look at the big picture, they do not often gloss over the centerpiece and venture into the secondary.

Quarterback is the centerpiece that demands the attention of so many fans. We will see if these early results hold in the Giants' war room a little less than two months from now.

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Next: 2025 NFL Combine Coverage

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