The quest to find the New York Giants’ next franchise quarterback starts now. Picking third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, landing that top quarterback will be easier said than done. General manager Joe Schoen might need to get creative and scour the trade market in hopes of finding his quarterback this offseason.
Giants GM Joe Schoen mentioned the trade market to find his next QB
During his end-of-season press conference, Schoen told reporters that he would consider all avenues this offseason — including free agency and trades — to find the team’s next franchise quarterback:
“We’ve done a lot of work on the college guys. [Giants owner John Mara] mentioned that we will look at free agency, can also look throughout the draft. [Also] potential trade opportunities, so we will look at any avenue we can to upgrade the position,” Schoen said (h/t SNY).
Could the Giants pull off a trade for Joe Milton III?
One name receiving buzz in trade rumors following the conclusion of the NFL regular season is New England Patriots rookie QB Joe Milton III. The Patriots selected Milton in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft despite drafting Drake Maye with the third-overall pick in the first round of the same draft. Maye’s presence on the roster as the team’s next franchise quarterback could make Milton expendable and available for trade this offseason.
Milton’s athleticism gives him an unlimited ceiling
Milton saw playing time in Week 18 after the Patriots made the peculiar decision to pull Maye from the lineup in the first quarter. The rookie backup stepped in and played well, completing 75.9% of his passes and throwing for 241 yards and one touchdown with zero interceptions. He also added 16 yards and one touchdown rushing.
Coming out of the draft, Milton’s draft projection was all over the place. Some viewed him as a day-two draft pick, others viewed him as a potential undrafted prospect. His physical traits and athleticism were enough to get him drafted by New England in Round 6.
“Bazooka Joe” is a 6-foot-5, 235-pound dual-threat quarterback who NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described as a “rare physical specimen with the proverbial ‘arm talent to make all the NFL throws’” in his draft profile. He flashed that elite arm talent in the Patriots’ Week 18 win over the Bills.
What would the Giants have to give up for Milton?
After his solid performance in Week 18, Milton’s trade value is on the rise. Despite the fact that the Patriots only spent a sixth-round pick on him, they could be looking for more than that in return.
Milton is valuable to New England in the way that he provides them with insurance behind Maye. Not only do they have one rookie quarterback with a high level of upside — they have two. That’s a rarity that most teams wish they could possess. The Patriots might not be eager to dump Milton for a draft pick just one year after drafting him, especially when considering that they don’t fully know what they have in either Maye or Milton just yet.
There is a precedence for teams to keep both of their quarterbacks from the same draft class. The Washington Commanders drafted both Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in the same 2012 NFL Draft class. Once Griffin flamed out in Washington, Cousins took over. They hedged their bet on Griffin and still landed a franchise-caliber quarterback in Cousins. The Patriots might hope for the same result if Maye doesn’t pan out long-term.
- Could the Giants trade for Patriots’ uber-athletic rookie QB in the offseason?
- Giants legend supports continuity with GM and HC: ‘Build that culture’
- Giants GM open to utilizing trades and free agency to address quarterback need
But for the Giants, they might be kicking themselves over the decision to pass on Milton in the sixth round. Now if they want to acquire his talents, they would likely need to give up more than a sixth-round pick, plus they would be acquiring him with a year wiped off his contract.
Still, though, trading for Milton would be an exciting move to give the Giants a toolsy and talented athlete at the quarterback position with limitless developmental upside as a backup or starter. Drafting their own quarterback will be the Giants’ priority, but trading for Milton will be among the most intriguing backup plans.