The NY Giants chose to eschew their second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, as GM Joe Schoen used it as ammunition to trade up with the Houston Texans and select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25 overall. This is quite a big risk for a front office on a scaling hot seat.
The Giants may have picked the best possible year to not have a second-round pick, as only two of the 32 players who were selected in the second round have signed their rookie contracts as training camp looms overhead. The Dart trade enabled the Texans to kick this whole mess off.
The Texans made history when they signed rookie wide receiver and No. 34 pick Jayden Higgins to a fully guaranteed rookie contract, which is normally reserved for first-round picks. The Cleveland Browns did the same with linebacker and No. 33 pick Carson Schwesinger, but that decision has forced the rest of the rookies to stand their ground.
Things are getting ugly now, as Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Tre Harris has now decided to officially hold out in search of the fully guaranteed deal that Schwesinger and Higgins received. The Giants, unburdened by a second-round pick, don't have to deal with this back-and-forth.
Giants avoid tense second-round pick negotiations due to Jaxson Dart trade
There is some irony in the Giants making this all possible by giving Houston the pick they would use to select Higgins and disrupt the labor market in such a shocking way. While other teams struggle to come to terms with their rookies, the Giants can sit back and cackle with their very deep, signed-up rookie class.
Not only has Dart shown glimpses of being a franchise quarterback in the early stages of his pro career, but No. 3 pick Abdul Carter has been flexing his blend of size and speed. No. 65 pick Darius Alexander, who narrowly avoided being part of the second-round holdout group, profiles as a quality Dexter Lawrence running mate.
While it's not always advised to throw away second-round picks when you're a rebuilding team, Schoen and the Giants saved themselves a major headache at a time when any sort of unwanted controversy could be enough to destabilize this organization.