We are less than two weeks away from the kickoff of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. Most of the focus for the New York Giants has been on what they will do with the third overall pick.
While everyone continues to debate and wonder what Joe Schoen will do with the pick, there’s an entire rest of the draft for the team to focus on. Some consider the mid-round picks to be just as valuable because that's where teams are made. The best organizations build their rosters with the Day 2 and 3 picks.
In recent years, the Giants’ Day 2 and 3 selections have been more miss than hit—that is, until the 2024 NFL Draft. While the first-round pick of Malik Nabers got all the headlines, it was the work done on Days 2 and 3 that really stood out. The additions of Tyler Nubin, Dru Phillips, Theo Johnson, and Tyrone Tracy were widely praised and have now solidified themselves as projected starters heading into the 2025 season.
For Schoen and Brian Daboll’s sake, they need to have another draft similar to the one they had a year ago and land several impact players who can develop into starters. Which prospects could the Giants focus on?
5 mid-round prospects the Giants must target
Tyler Shough: QB, Louisville
Quarterback still seems to be a focus for the Giants, even after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, so let’s start with a quarterback who could be added to the room.
There’s a real possibility the Giants pass on taking a quarterback in the first round. But that doesn’t mean they’ll ignore the position entirely for a fourth straight draft—especially with the current regime on the hot seat and needing a prospect they can develop and build around.
Shough isn’t your typical college prospect. He’s 25 years old and spent seven seasons in college between Oregon, Texas Tech, and Louisville. But that extra time gives him an edge in maturity, which could help him adjust to the NFL more quickly than a younger prospect might.
Plus, Shough likely wouldn’t have to play right away. With Wilson expected to take the bulk of the snaps in 2025, Shough could spend his rookie season developing behind two veterans. Some view him as a late Round 2 to early Round 3 pick, depending on how the board falls.
He could even be gone by the start of the second round, with the Browns and Giants both picking early. If Schoen and Daboll believe in his upside, taking Shough would give them a developmental option to groom for the future—potentially stepping into the starting role in 2026.
Donovan Jackson: OL, Ohio State
The Giants really need better luck when it comes to drafting offensive linemen, especially in the mid rounds. They struck out with Marcus McKethan and Joshua Ezeudu, and because those two didn’t develop the way the team hoped, it forced the Giants to spend money on veteran stopgaps in free agency.
They absolutely need to hit on their lineman picks—especially if they invest more draft capital on Day 2 or Day 3. One name to watch is Donovan Jackson, who made a pre-draft visit to East Rutherford. Jackson played left guard at Ohio State but also has experience at left tackle.
Injuries were a huge issue for the Giants’ offensive line in 2024, especially to key starters. Andrew Thomas went down after Week 6, and Jon Runyan landed on injured reserve later in the year. Runyan, one of the Giants’ key free-agent signings, ended up being underwhelming and failed to provide the kind of impact they needed. He could be a cap casualty after 2025, which is why the Giants may want to draft and develop his replacement—someone like Jackson.
Some scouts view Jackson as another Wyatt Teller—big, physical, and mean in the trenches. He could benefit from learning behind veterans like Runyan and Greg Van Roten. And depending on how the Evan Neal situation shakes out, especially if he transitions to guard, having a player like Jackson around could help shape the future of the offensive line.
Kaleb Johnson: RB, Iowa
The Giants have a full running back room, including a recent Day 3 success story in Tyrone Tracy. Eric Gray, a Day 3 pick from two years ago, hasn’t quite panned out. And while Devin Singletary began last season as the starter, he eventually took a backseat to Tracy down the stretch.
Gray could be a training camp cut, and Singletary might even be trade bait after the draft. If that happens, the Giants may be in the market for another young back to pair with Tracy—and that’s where Kaleb Johnson fits.
Johnson has the build of a bruising back, though he ran with more finesse at Iowa. The Giants have shifted away from the bell-cow model they had with Saquon Barkley. Adding Johnson to complement Tracy could create the backfield duo the team hoped for when they started 2024 with Singletary and Tracy—only to fully lean on Tracy once the rest of the group underperformed.
Alfred Collins: DL, Texas
Dexter Lawrence might be the best interior defensive lineman in football—or at least one of the top few. But next to him? The production has been lacking ever since the Giants traded away Leonard Williams, who brought consistency against the run and real pass-rushing juice.
The replacements haven’t worked out. Jordon Riley hasn’t stepped up. Neither has D.J. Davidson. Elijah Chatman and Casey Rogers are still unknowns. Defensive line help is high on the list of draft needs, and that’s where Alfred Collins could make sense.
Collins won’t wow you with sack numbers—he had just one in 2024 and seven total at Texas—but he brings size and strength to clog lanes and stop the run. And right now, that’s exactly what the Giants need.
Pairing Collins with Lawrence could go a long way in stabilizing the front and improving the run defense—an area where the team has been gashed way too often.
Marcus Mbow: OL, Purdue
We’re circling back to a spot where Joe Schoen has struggled in his four years as GM—drafting offensive linemen, particularly on Day 3. It’s an area he needs to improve if he wants to stick around beyond the 2025 season.
The Giants’ offensive line started 2024 ranked No. 30 but climbed as high as 18 once the unit started to settle. Then Andrew Thomas went down with a season-ending injury, and the shuffling began again. Players like Jermaine Eluemunor and Evan Neal rotated in and out as the Giants searched for answers.
It might be time for the Giants to start thinking about depth at both tackle spots, especially with Thomas missing 18 games over the last two years. They’ve invested heavily in him, but if the injuries persist, the team has to plan for the future. That’s where someone like Marcus Mbow comes in. He played right tackle but could kick inside to guard.
Having a veteran like Eluemunor helps with flexibility—and Mbow offers that too. He’s considered a plus athlete for his size and could help protect Russell Wilson, who, while still mobile, isn’t the same escape artist he once was.
Staying healthy on the line is key. Injecting some youth and athleticism like Mbow could be crucial if injuries hit again—and if he’s ever asked to step in, he has the tools to keep the offense on track.