The New York Giants didn’t sign Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston just to tread water. They signed them so they didn’t have to panic. That’s the biggest takeaway from Joe Schoen’s pre-draft press conference—and it might just be the clearest signal yet about how Big Blue plans to handle the quarterback position next week.
High-level, Schoen doesn't feel the G-Men must select a QB. That doesn’t mean the quarterback carousel has stopped spinning. The Giants still hold the No. 3 pick in next week’s NFL Draft, and with Cam Ward likely heading to the Tennessee Titans at No. 1... the options are intriguing.
Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter have both been floated as possible top targets. Shedeur Sanders is still in play. And now, New York is set to host a whirlwind of private workouts in the final stretch—Sanders, Jalen Milroe, and Tyler Shough—all before the draft kicks off in Green Bay.
Joe Schoen doesn't feel pressure to draft a quarterback
Make no mistake: Joe Schoen didn’t dodge questions at the podium. He just made it very clear where the Giants stand heading into the final week of chaos:
“With the signing of those two players, I think we put ourselves in a position where I don’t think that’s mandatory,” Schoen said. “The two guys we signed have played a lot of ball. I do think we upgraded that room compared to where it was a year ago. I like the guys that we have. Tommy [DeVito] is still in there and won games for us, too. He’s still developing. So, we are happy with the makeup of the room right now.”
That’s about as definitive as it gets without locking the door. The Giants are comfortable, not desperate. And in the NFL Draft, that’s where you want to be.
What Schoen didn’t say is just as important. He didn’t rule out taking a quarterback. He didn’t dismiss the idea that Shedeur could be the guy at 3. He just reminded everyone that this team won’t take a quarterback just for the sake of it. It has to be the right value.
“You’d like to have a young franchise quarterback. I think every general manager would. Everyone wants that,” Schoen said. “But the value has to be right. If you get that one wrong… you just gotta get that right.”
Schoen doesn’t have to force anything. He’s not boxed into a corner. Signing Wilson and Winston gave him that flexibility, and the late visits with Sanders, Milroe, and Shough? That’s just the Giants doing their due diligence.
They’re covering every angle—from a top-3 quarterback like Sanders, to raw upside with Milroe, to the experienced, under-the-radar Shough. Maybe they pull the trigger at 3. Maybe they roll with a defensive playmaker early and come back for a developmental QB on Day 2 or 3. But whatever the plan is, it’ll be on their terms.
That’s a very different vibe than last year. And thank goodness.
The Giants have five picks inside the top 105. They’ve stabilized the roster in free agency. And now, with only a week to go, they’ve positioned themselves to simply take the best player available—whoever that ends up being.
Whether it’s Sanders, Shough, Milroe, or someone we’re not even talking about yet, one thing is clear: Joe Schoen isn’t drafting a quarterback just to say he did. The Giants aren’t operating out of panic or pressure this year. They’ve bought themselves time. And now, with the board wide open, Schoen can afford to wait for the right guy—on his terms.