The hunt is on for the New York Giants’ next franchise quarterback. Rumors have been swirling for a couple of weeks now that the Giants are eyeing a trade for Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford. However, New York owns the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s 2025 NFL Draft, where they could select a quarterback of the future. According to a recent report, that is still the Giants’ preferred path forward.
Giants still prefer to land their quarterback in the NFL Draft
Paul Schwartz of The New York Post recently previewed the Giants’ offseason plans regarding the quarterback position. He shed some insight on their process, indicating that drafting a quarterback is still the team’s top priority, despite any rumors swirling that they could prefer a trade for Stafford:
“The preferred path to follow remains in place: Select a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the draft,” Schwartz reports. “That is what the Giants hope will happen.”
Hope and reality are often two completely different things. The Giants hoped they would have a winning record in the 100th season of the franchise. Instead, they went 3-14 with a franchise-record 10-game losing streak — yet still managed to miss out on the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Now the Giants are left hoping that the quarterback of their preference falls into their lap with the third-overall pick. Miami’s Cam Ward is the consensus top quarterback in the class with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders trailing behind him. The expectation is, barring any major quarterback acquisitions in free agency, the Giants would select one of those two prospects if available with the No. 3 pick in the draft.
- The Giants have a boat-load of money to spend if they play their cards right
- Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux wants his 5th-year option picked up: ‘The fans don’t call the shots’
- Giants’ ‘preferred path’ is still to draft a quarterback with No. 3 pick
Is a Matthew Stafford trade still on the table?
Schwartz didn’t completely rule out a trade for Stafford, however. He said that the Giants “will look into trading for him,” knowing that their offseason might not go according to plan as they hold the third-overall pick with two quarterback-needy teams picking ahead of them in the draft order.
With general manager Joe Schoen, a trade for Stafford can’t be ruled out — nor can any trade, for that matter. Schoen has orchestrated blockbuster trades for veteran players in consecutive offseasons, acquiring TE Darren Waller in 2023 and EDGE Brian Burns in 2024. Stafford could be his next big-ticket target.
- The Giants have a boat-load of money to spend if they play their cards right
- Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux wants his 5th-year option picked up: ‘The fans don’t call the shots’
- Giants’ ‘preferred path’ is still to draft a quarterback with No. 3 pick
- Jets take skilled Penn State tight end in latest NFL Mock Draft
- 49ers land elite cornerback prospect in latest 2025 mock draft
- Giants trade up for franchise quarterback, give him exciting weapon in three-round mock draft
However, picking third overall, the Giants still have a chance to land their desired quarterback prospect. They are also close enough to the first-overall pick to potentially orchestrate a trade to swap picks with the Tennessee Titans.
That rookie quarterback could come by way of a trade-up or fall into the Giants’ lap with the third-overall pick. All of those dominos will begin following after free agency begins. Until then, all the Giants have is a plan and a preferred path, and the coming weeks will determine if they walk that path or are forced to march down the one less traveled.