Giants get their QB in PFN mock
Pro Football Network’s weekly seven-round NFL mock draft ended up with the same result as my most recent one for the New York Giants in Round 1 — the Giants landing Miami quarterback. It just gets there in a vastly different, and also realistic, way.
In this draft, PFN’s Jacob Infante has the Las Vegas Raiders trading up from No. 6 to No. 1 and selecting Shedeur Sanders.
That is a believable scenario a week before the start of NFL free agency, though I have doubts about the Tennessee Titans’ willingness to drop that far in the draft. The Titans, after all, have talked about not wanting to pass on a “generational” talent. At No. 6, they won’t have a shot at either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter.
It is certainly believable that the Raiders would prefer Sanders to Ward.
The price? The Raiders surrendered picks 6 and 37 this year, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
That is pretty steep.
The Giants were still able to land Ward because Infante has the Cleveland Browns choosing Hunter at No. 2. Everything I’ve learned to date tells me that the Browns will take a quarterback at that spot, and that their preference is Ward. So, my belief at this date is that IF the Giants want Ward they are going to have to get to No. 1 to select him.
Anyway, let’s get to Infante’s full group of selections for the Giants.
Round 1 (No. 3) — Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Infante says:
The Raiders jump ahead of the New York Giants to secure their own top quarterback in this mock draft simulation, but with New York picking at No. 3, they’ll still be in a good position to select their quarterback of the future.
With his effortless arm strength and his improvisational skills, Cam Ward stakes a strong claim to being the top quarterback in this year’s class. How he compares to prospects at his position from the 2024 NFL Draft is another discussion, but you have to shoot as high as you can at the quarterback position. Ward has arguably the highest ceiling of the quarterbacks in the 2025 class.
Valentine’s View: You know by now that I’m good with this. I just have doubts the Giants can get Ward at No. 3.
Round 2 (No. 34) — Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State
Infante says:
Though their first-round pick will likely be used on a quarterback, the Giants also have a glaring need at cornerback that needs to be fixed.
A big riser up draft boards in recent weeks, Azareye’h Thomas didn’t allow a single touchdown in coverage in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. He’s a competitive, physical boundary cornerback with impressive speed for a taller player at his position.
Valentine’s View: Before free agency, I can fully support this pick. Adding talent at cornerback is a must. I do, though, expect the Giants to make a big play for a top-tier veteran cornerback in free agency. Landing one would push the necessity of using a draft resource on cornerback this early, allowing the Giants to target the trenches here.
Round 3 (No. 65) — Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee
Infante says:
An athletic three-technique defensive tackle, Omarr Norman-Lott is one of the best interior pass rushers in the 2025 NFL Draft. With a low center of gravity, impressive hand usage, and a dynamic first step off the ball, he has potential to be a fixture for an NFL defensive line for a long time.
Valentine’s View: Whether Norman-Lott would be the right pick here, I don’t know. I do know prioritizing the trenches is the proper priority.
The rest of the picks
Round 4 (No. 104) — Jared Wilson, C, Georgia
I don’t like this pick because Wilson is a center only prospect. I don’t mind drafting someone to push John Michael Schmitz, but it is hard to roster a center only player as a backup offensive lineman.
Round 4 (No. 134) — Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
I like this pick a lot as a complement to Tyrone Tracy. 33rd Team says Neal is an “ascending talent with his passing game contributions to complement good vision, physicality, ball security, and competitive toughness as a primary runner.”
Round 5 (No. 155) — Malachi Moore, S, Alabama
How can I not like this pick? In my mock draft on Sunday, I also picked Moore for the Giants in Round 5.
Round 7 (No. 221) — Thomas Perry, G, Middlebury
Round 7 (No 248) — Marques Cox, OT, Kentucky
I love the seventh-round fliers on a pair of offensive linemen. There are a lot of successful linemen around the NFL selected late in the draft.
Perry was a Division III standout who could be the next out of nowhere small school offensive lineman to have a successful NFL career.
Here is more on Perry from the College Football Network.
Draft Buzz calls Cox “a solid developmental tackle with the potential to become a reliable starter.”