The New York Giants need a quarterback of the future. However, they also hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, positioning them out of range to select Miami QB Cam Ward, the consensus top quarterback in this draft class who many analysts feel is the only prospect at his position worth taking inside the top five.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders has a strong case to be a top-five pick as well, however, his draft stock has been falling since the NFL Scouting Combine. Some projections post-Combine had Sanders fall well down the board, even outside of the first round in some mock drafts.
The Giants have a chance to land a veteran quarterback this offseason as they are in the running for both Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. If they land one of those two vets, they could be positioned to take the best player available with the No. 3 pick, rather than reaching on a quarterback. In this mock draft, that’s the route the Giants go, before circling back later in the first round to kill two birds with one stone.
Mock Draft: Giants take the NFL Draft’s best prospect
Instead of reaching on Sander at No. 3, the Giants steal his teammate and the best player in the draft with the selection: Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter. The 2024 Heisman Trophy Winner is widely viewed as this draft’s class’s best prospect.
In 2024, Hunter not only won the Heisman but also became the first player in college football history to win both the Chuck Bednarik (Defensive Player of the Year in college football) and the Fred Biletnikoff Awards (Wide Receiver of the Year in college football) after totaling 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and 11 pass defenses and four interceptions on defense.
The Giants need another dynamic playmaker to pair with superstar WR Malik Nabers. They also could use more talent in the secondary. Hunter could make an impact on both fronts with his innate playmaking abilities as both a wide receiver and a cornerback. He would be an incredible selection for the Giants with the third-overall pick if he is on the board and could pair nicely with a veteran such as Rodgers or Wilson.
Giants trade up to land a quarterback in this mock draft
However, drafting Hunter at No. 3 doesn’t solve the Giants’ long-term need at the quarterback position, even if they sign Rodgers or Wilson. So in this mock draft projection, the Giants are going to make an aggressive move to jump back into the first round and make a second selection on night one of the draft.
MOCK TRADE:
- Giants receive: Pick No. 20
- Broncos receive: Pick No. 34, Pick No. 65, Giants’ 2026 2nd-Round Pick
With the No. 20 overall pick in this mock draft, the Giants take Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, reuniting him with Hunter and setting the foundation for a dynamic offense for years to come.
Sanders might be a scrutinized prospect, but there is no doubt he has talent. In 2024, Sanders threw for 4,134 yards with a 37-10 TD-INT ratio. His 74.0% completion rate led the nation and his 71.8% career completion rate set an all-time career FBS / Division 1-A (or equivalent) record.
An accurate arm, a quick trigger release, and the persona to succeed in the Big Apple: Sanders fits the billing as the Giants’ next quarterback. He and Hunter already have incredible chemistry that they’ve developed in their shared collegiate careers, but this mock draft projection gives them an opportunity to keep that chemistry in tact and demonstrate it on the world’s stage at the next level.
This mock draft projection might be a long shot, but the more buzz that surrounds Sanders, the more it seems he could slide in this year’s draft, and the more likely it could become for the Giants to land both Colorado superstars.