With the NFL Draft under a week away, the New York Giants are narrowing down their draft board. Big Blue is doing its due diligence, having final rounds of pre-draft visits with prospects of intrigue. This year, the Giants hold the No. 3 overall pick and are in possession of four top-100 selections. The first three rounds of this year’s draft should yield a haul of talent for the Giants.
Giants Three-Round Mock Draft
Taking the BPA at No. 3 overall
The Giants are faced with a difficult decision with the No. 3 overall pick: draft a potential quarterback of the future, or take one of the few blue-chip prospects in this year’s class. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is the best quarterback available, but would be considered a reach here. Plus, the Giants don’t necessarily seem to be in love with Sanders. Instead, they’ll opt for Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter in this mock draft, going the “best player available route,” and landing a stud pass-rusher.
Carter is arguably the best overall player in this year’s draft class. The 2024 All-American was named college football’s Defensive Player of the Year after totaling 68 combined tackles, 12.0 sacks, and a nation-leading 24 tackles for loss. Carter possesses a rare blend of power and speed off the edge that gives him All-Pro potential as a pass-rusher at the next level.
The Giants can get by for a year or so with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston under center, lessening their need for a high-impact quarterback prospect. Instead, they can afford to address another position while circling back for a quarterback later.
Patching up the offensive line in Round 2
The Giants are going to stick to the best player available approach in this mock draft, instead of reaching for need. In this simulation, they’re going to luck into an exciting prospect who many feel might go Day 1 of the draft, but could very well slip into the top of the second round: Ohio State OL Donovan Jackson.
Offensive line might not be the Giants’ biggest need, as they do seemingly have five starters that they feel comfortable rolling into the season. However, that’s not to say there isn’t room to improve the unit, especially in its long-term outlook. Jackson could be a potential upgrade from day one and would greatly improve the future of Big Blue’s offensive line.
Jackson was a three-year starter at left guard for the Ohio State Buckeyes — a position the Giants already have solidified with Jon Runyan Jr. However, Runyan has the versatility to play on either side of the line, so he shouldn’t prevent New York from taking Jackson if he is the best player on the board.
The G-Men did host a visit with Jackson during the pre-draft process, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder surrendered only two sacks and 19 pressures across 422 pass-blocking snaps in 2024. He played a fair share of left tackle this past season as well — valuable versatility for Big Blue, considering the recent injuries suffered by LT Andrew Thomas.
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Finally taking a quarterback at the top of Round 3
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the Giants’ quarterback position. Will they take on at No. 3? Or will they opt for a more developmental prospect later? In this mock draft, the G-Men wait until Round 3 to take a quarterback, selecting Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.
Milroe accepted an invitation to the NFL Draft, leading many to speculate that he might be a first-round selection after being initially projected as a Day 2 or Day 3 draft pick. He has since explained that he is attending, not because of assurances that he will be an early selection, but because he wants to experience the full event with his family.
Throughout the process, Milroe was typically viewed as a Round 2 or Round 3 selection. If that holds true next weekend, he could be an enticing option if he is on the board when the Giants are on the clock with the No. 65 overall pick. The first pick of the third round, Big Blue will have dibs on whoever is the best prospect available, which could be Milroe.
An elite athlete and a superior rusher from the quarterback position, Milroe has rare potential. Likened to Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts coming out of college (the same school, Alabama), Milroe needs refinement as a passer but already has a baseline of talent thanks to his rushing capabilities. He totaled 20 rushing touchdowns in 2024, but threw for a mediocre 16-11 TD-INT ratio. Giants HC Brian Daboll has earned his reputation as a quarterback guru.
Milroe could be the ultimate passion project for the Giants’ top boss, and there would be no rush to get him in the starting lineup with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston under contract. Milroe could take his time to grow and develop behind two experienced veterans before potentially taking over in 2026. And, since he only cost the Giants a third-round pick, there would be nothing stopping them from drafting a quarterback early next year if they’re picking high again.
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Rounding out the mock draft with another addition in the trenches
Arguably the biggest need on the Giants’ roster is the interior of their defensive line, which has yet to be addressed in this mock draft. Thankfully, the position group is stacked with talent in this year’s draft class, affording them an opportunity to land an impactful defensive tackle as late as pick No. 99. In this mock draft, that defensive tackle is Florida State University’s Joshua Farmer.
Farmer is a powerful, 6-foot-3, 305-pound interior defender that could hold his own on a defensive line alongside Dexter Lawrence. With Lawrence being a nose tackle, Farmer could perfectly fit in as a defensive end in the Giants’ system.
In 2024, Farmer started all 12 games for FSU, totaling 32 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks. The Giants held a top-30 visit with Farmer, indicating they have a level of interest in the Seminoles prospect. If he is on the board at pick No. 99, this could be one of those perfect moments where the best player available also addresses the team’s biggest need.