Giants 7-round mock draft: A star pass rusher and QB of the future?!

Ralph Vacchiano

NFL Reporter

The New York Giants have plenty of needs coming off a miserable 3-14 season, but one stands out above them all. Even co-owner John Mara said that finding a quarterback of the future was their “No. 1 issue” this offseason.

The 2025 NFL Draft is their last chance to find one.

They certainly will have the opportunity, picking third overall and high in Rounds 2 and 3, too. But exactly when they’ll do it, and who that quarterback will be, is still a mystery. So here’s a peak at what they’re thinking heading into the draft and a projection of how thing might play out in our Giants 7-round mock draft:

First round, 3rd overall: Edge Abdul Carter, Penn State

The Giants are in a tough spot because they absolutely need to find a quarterback in this draft, and the one they want the most — Miami’s Cam Ward — is going No. 1 to the Titans. They also don’t seem completely sold on the next-best prospect — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. They’ll likely have a chance to get him, though, if the Cleveland Browns take WR/CB standout Travis Hunter at No. 2, which several sources believe they’re going to do.

But I don’t think Sanders is high enough on the Giants’ board to justify taking him over the best defensive player in the draft. Carter, who had 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss last season, is clearly the best. He’s an explosive pass-rusher whether he’s coming off the line or from the linebacker position, and everyone agrees he has Pro Bowl potential. The Giants don’t seem to have worries about Carter’s foot injury either. They believe he’ll be ready to play this summer and see him as a Micah Parsons-like weapon who can be all over the field and add to what can be a dangerous front that also includes Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence.

No, it doesn’t address their “No. 1 issue.” But they did add two veteran quarterbacks this offseason in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. And they’ve got a couple of valuable picks coming up. In the meantime, though, Carter will help build them the kind of defense that can carry a team with offensive issues.

Second round, 34th overall: QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

If the Giants don’t believe in a quarterback enough to take him at No. 3, they’re absolutely right not to force it. But they’re going to have to force it somewhere in this draft. They just can not come out of it without a quarterback they think will be able to start for them in 2026.

Good thing for them that having the second pick of the second round gives them options — including the possibility of trading into the end of the first round. Sanders and Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart probably won’t last long enough for them. But the next group — Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, Texas‘ Quinn Ewers and Milroe — should all be within reach.

And Milroe might be a perfect fit. He’ll draw a lot of comparisons to Jalen Hurts as he sits a year behind Wilson and Winston and works on his accuracy and learns the nuances of reading NFL defenses. He’s an explosive athlete who is dangerous on the run and has an NFL arm that just needs to be harnessed a bit. Head coach Brian Daboll will get a full year to develop him. Watching and learning from a player like Wilson won’t hurt either.

Third round, 65th overall: DT Darius Alexander, Toledo

The missing piece on the Giants’ front line that could really unleash havoc is another defensive tackle who can take a little of the pressure off All-Pro Dexter Lawrence. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Alexander has the potential to be that guy. He had a big week at the Senior Bowl, where the offensive linemen he practiced against voted him the best defensive lineman of the week, so the secret is out and he might not last until Round 3. It’s a deep class of defensive tackles, though, so it’s possible he’ll slide this far if there are questions about the level of competition he faced at Toledo. He did have 7.5 sacks over the past two seasons, and he’s got all the measurables, including long arms (34 inches) and fast legs (he ran a 4.95 in the 40). He’d be hard for the Giants to pass up.

Third round, 99th overall: RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

They have done a lot of work on running backs during the pre-draft process, which seems to indicate they’re looking for a backfield mate for Tyrone Tracy. It’s not a high-value position in general manager Joe Schoen’s world, though, so don’t expect them to take the leap until Day 3. But they might address this need quickly then, especially if this 5-fot-9, 219-pound battering ram is still available. He could be the power complement to Tracy’s moves and speed. He also can give the Giants a valuable receiver out of the backfield. He had 45 catches for 605 yards for the Sun Devils last season to go with his 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground.

Fourth round, 105th overall: OL Cameron Williams, Texas

The Giants, as always, can’t come out of this draft without at least one offensive line prospect, and maybe two. The good news, though, is that they’ve added enough veteran linemen that they don’t need a rookie that is ready to play. They need one who’ll be ready to step in as a starting guard or right tackle sometime in the next couple of years. The 6-foot-6, 317-pound Williams is that kind of developmental prospect. His size and skill might get him off the board earlier, but he only started one season and he sprained his knee in the college football playoffs. If that drops him this far, the Giants will get a potential future starter at either tackle or guard.

Fifth round, 154th overall: S Jaylen Reed, Penn State

The Giants made a big free-agent investment in Jevon Holland, but there’s room for competition at the other safety spot with second-year pro Tyler Nubin. The 6-foot, 211-pound Reed is a hard-hitting safety with a very aggressive style. The Giants would need to reign that in to make him a consistent contributor, because the mistakes will catch up to him at the NFL level. But the skills and potential are there, and he could be a special teams demon while he works his way into the defensive lineup.

Seventh round, 219th overall: CB Mac McWilliams, Central Florida

A few scouts fell in love with his one season at UCF, after transferring from Alabama-Birmingham. His stock rose even more after a strong week at the Senior Bowl and with the 4.41 he ran in the 40 at the combine. But others haven’t forgotten that he wasn’t very good at UAB and likely wasn’t headed for the NFL while he was there. Someone could take a chance on the potential of this 5-foot-10, 191-pounder a round or two earlier. But the questions of whether he was a one-year wonder, not to mention his slight frame, could keep him around this far. The Giants need to keep adding to their depth at corner, and he’s got the potential to compete for a nickel corner spot for someone.

Seventh round, 246th overall: WR Will Sheppard, Colorado

All that scouting the Giants did of Sanders and Hunter won’t go to waste, because they surely noticed Sheppard and his 48 catches for 621 yards and six touchdowns while they were watching those games. Those numbers are basically exactly what the 6-foot-2, 198-pounder produced in each of his three seasons as a starter at Vanderbilt, too. He’s a model of consistency and a good route runner who some scouts think could have produced more if he were more of a featured part of his team’s offense. And it certainly wouldn’t hurt the Giants to build up an arsenal of potential weapons for whomever they tab as their quarterback of the future.

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.