The New York Giants are entering the 2025 NFL Draft with an unexpected twist that could change everything. Colorado head coach and NFL icon Deion Sanders has made headlines by hinting that he won’t let his son, star quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders, play for certain teams—most notably the Cleveland Browns, who hold the second overall pick.
That revelation has set the stage for the Giants, sitting at No. 3, to potentially land their franchise quarterback without having to trade up.
For a team that just suffered through a brutal 3-14 season, this is the kind of break general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll desperately need.
The Giants have been in quarterback purgatory for years, cycling through stopgaps and failed experiments while watching the rest of the NFC East thrive. Shedeur Sanders falling to Big Blue could finally put an end to their woes under center and give the franchise a foundation to build around.
But the potential ripple effects of Deion Sanders’ bold stance extend beyond just quarterback. The draft landscape is shifting rapidly, and with the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl on the horizon, the Giants have a chance to evaluate key prospects for their other glaring needs.
Let’s dive into how the Giants could maximize their opportunities in this new-look 2025 NFL Draft.
Giants 2025 3-round mock draft
The Giants get their quarterback, and Deion Sanders gets his wish. Shedeur and Deion spurn the Cleveland Browns at No. 2 overall, which leads Shedeur Sanders right there for the taking. Sanders is one of the top two QB prospects in this draft. Funny enough, the Giants have needed a quarterback since... Eli Manning retired—so this works out well.
Sanders has elite arm talent and vision—he's got some sneaky athleticism going on, too. Growing up around Deion has given Shedeur plenty of experience with the spotlight. He's poised and really the only option here now that Deion has supposedly crossed Cleveland off the board. The one major knock against the kid is he holds onto the football too long at times. No prospect is perfect. Within a few starts, that should work itself out.
In the first round, the G-Men snag their franchise quarterback. In round two, they give him a capable offensive lineman. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds, Savaiinaea is a pretty big guy. The three-year starter has a good feel for the game. He's quick out of his stance in pass protection, and he shows good spacial awareness.
The Giants' offensive line is a mess. Savaiinaea gives Schoen a highly-touted prospect who isn't as much of a project as Evan Neal was. While he's not as athletic as Neal, he could come in a take over his starting spot right away. Savaiinaea doesn't project to be a starting left tackle in the NFL, but he's more than capable of holding down the right tackle position or moving inside at one of the guard spots. Seeing as though there are holes everywhere on the line, he'd be a good fit anywhere.
Jayden Higgins is a big-bodied receiver. He's listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. He'd be the perfect compliment to rookie sensation Malik Nabers, along with first-round pick Shedeur Sanders. Higgins could be what (no relation) Tee Higgins is to Ja'Marr Chase in Cincinnati. Higgins is the big boundary receiver, while Chase operates everywhere else.
Nabers is already showing Chase-esque flashes, and pairing him with an outside receiver would do wonders for the passing game and everyone involved in it. With Wan'Dale Robinson occupying the slot and Darius Slayton potentially leaving in free agency, Higgins would be the perfect WR addition to a team devoid of offensive playmakers.
With this mock, the Giants overhaul an offense that has been among the most anemic in the NFL the past few years. They get their franchise QB, starting-caliber offensive lineman, and the perfect boundary receiver for Sanders. This is the kind of draft Daboll dreams of as he'd add plenty of new weapons to his underwhelming arsenal. Maybe he'd finally get a chance to show off his supposedly brilliant mind.