The New York Giants didn’t just draft players in 2025, they drafted a new identity. After years of trying (and failing) to rebuild the roster, General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll went all-in on building a tougher, faster, and smarter football team. No half-measures this time. No panic moves. Just conviction, patience, and a lot of talent added to the locker room.
From landing Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall to pulling off a bold trade for quarterback Jaxson Dart, the Giants made statement after statement all weekend. They didn’t just react to the board. They dictated the board. They added high-upside trench players, immediate depth pieces, and a few late-round flyers who could easily grow into long-term contributors. This is the kind of draft that feels different — because it is different.
Not everything will hit. It never does. But the Giants came away with one of the most impressive, cohesive classes in the league. There’s a clear vision in place, and finally, it feels like Big Blue is cooking with real gas again.
Giants build a new identity with one of the NFL Draft’s best classes
Round 1, Pick 3: Abdul Carter, Edge (Penn State)
There are home runs, and then there are grand slams. Abdul Carter is a grand-slam pick. It would’ve been easy to chase a quarterback here, but Joe Schoen stuck to his board and snagged arguably the best defensive player in the entire draft. Carter is a freak athlete with the bend, speed, and toughness that made him a nightmare for Big Ten offenses—and now he gets to do the same in Big Blue.
The fit could not be better. Lining up alongside Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Kayvon Thibodeaux gives the Giants a defensive front-loaded with talent and versatility. Carter won’t need to be a one-man wrecking crew from Day 1 but don’t be surprised if he looks like the best edge rusher on the roster by mid-season.
Prediction: Carter quickly becomes the second-best pass rusher behind Brian Burns, and his emergence pushes Thibodeaux into more of a rotational role…or onto the trade block.
Grade: A+
Round 1, Pick 25: Jaxson Dart, QB (Ole Miss)
The Giants finally picked their QB of the future. Jaxson Dart wasn’t a consensus first-rounder, but that’s what makes this pick so impressive—Schoen trusted the evaluation and played the board like a pro.
Dart has everything Daboll covets: a big arm, mobility, toughness, and the mental makeup to survive (and eventually thrive) in New York. He won’t be rushed with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in the building, which makes this a perfect landing spot for him to develop properly.
Prediction: Dart redshirts most of 2025 behind Wilson, wins the starting job outright by 2026, and becomes the long-term answer Big Blue has been chasing for years.
Grade: A
Round 3, Pick 65: Darius Alexander, DT (Toledo)
If Abdul Carter was the grand slam, Darius Alexander might be the solo shot that fans overlook at first but ends up winning the game. Quietly, this could be one of Schoen’s sharpest moves of the entire draft.
Alexander’s a freaky athlete for a 305-pounder, with the versatility to line up almost anywhere on the defensive front. He plays with violence, length, and just enough twitch to wreck pockets. In a defense already featuring Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter, Alexander has a chance to be the final piece that takes this pass rush from scary to downright terrifying.
Prediction: Alexander rotates early as a 3-technique and situational pass rusher, then by midseason is stealing snaps from veterans and becoming one of the most productive rookies on the roster.
Grade: B+
Round 4, Pick 105: Cam Skattebo, RB (Arizona State)
There’s good value, there’s great value, and then there’s stealing one of the most electric players in the entire draft. That’s what Schoen did by landing Cam Skattebo at 105. The Arizona State fire hydrant might not be the fastest guy on the field, but you won’t find many tougher. He’s a human highlight reel when it comes to angry runs, missed tackles, and doing literally everything a modern NFL offense could want.
The Giants needed a physical tone-setter to pair with Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Skattebo fits like a glove. He’s not just a bruiser either—Skattebo can catch, block, move the chains, and even punt if you need him to (seriously, he punted at Arizona State). Every team talks about wanting guys who “play like Giants.” This is exactly what they mean.
Prediction: Skattebo carves out an early RB2 role, becomes a short-yardage monster by midseason, and becomes an instant fan favorite at MetLife with his tough-as-nails style. He puts Tracy Jr. on the bench by the end of the season.
Grade: A+
Round 5, Pick 154: Marcus Mbow, G (Purdue)
Sometimes Day 3 is about throwing darts. Other times, it’s about scooping up legit talent that somehow fell through the cracks. Marcus Mbow feels like the latter. A college right tackle with the athletic traits and nasty demeanor to slide inside to guard, Mbow gives the G-Men exactly what they need—young, moldable depth up front.
Mbow isn’t perfect. His footwork can get sloppy, and his shorter arms cap his tackle upside. But inside at guard? This kid could thrive. He’s quick enough to pull and maul in the run game, and strong enough to anchor in pass protection once he cleans up his technique. If the Giants are serious about fixing the trenches around Dart, grabbing a potential starter this late is a massive win.
Prediction: Mbow battles for a starting guard spot by the end of training camp. Even if he doesn’t win it right away, he’ll be first off the bench at multiple spots on the line.
Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 219: Thomas Fidone II, TE (Nebraska)
You don’t usually expect to find hidden gems in Round 7, but Big Blue may have just done that with Thomas Fidone. Once one of the top tight end recruits in the country, injuries kept him from ever fully taking off at Nebraska. But when he was healthy, the flashes were obvious: size, smooth hands, and enough blocking chops to carve out a real role in the NFL.
Fidone isn’t going to wow anyone with elite speed or suddenness, but he’s a big target who knows how to get open against zone coverage and can finish plays through contact. Fidone could become an important piece of the offense if he can stay healthy and bulk up a bit.
Prediction: Fidone wins a roster spot as TE3 out of camp and slowly works his way into a bigger role by midseason thanks to his blocking ability and reliable hands.
Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 246: Korie Black, CB (Oklahoma State)
Another late-round flier that could end up looking like a major steal. Korie Black was widely projected to come off the board a full round earlier, but New York patiently waited and scooped up the 6-foot, 192-pound corner at great value. His 4.35 speed jumps off the page, and he’s got the versatility to fit both man and zone coverage schemes.
Black is a bit raw when it comes to zone awareness, but he’s a strong athlete who can recover when beaten and make plays on the ball without panicking. He doesn’t have the most natural hands in the world, but his ability to stay in phase and break up passes is very real. In a Giants secondary that needed more young depth, Black is exactly the type of moldable athlete you want to take a shot on this late.
Prediction: Black cracks the 53-man roster as a special teamer and developmental corner with a real shot at earning defensive snaps by the end of his rookie season.
Grade: B+
Schoen just built a new spine for this roster. And for the first time in a long time, the Giants’ future looks as bright as their past. No notes.
Overall Draft Grade: A