The New York Giants head into the 2025 NFL Draft with options... and pressure. Sitting at No. 3 overall, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll face a franchise-defining decision in a draft that could reshape the roster or derail it. With job security in question and a fanbase desperate for direction, there’s no room for error.
Cam Ward is expected to go first to Tennessee, and Travis Hunter seems bound for Cleveland at No. 2. That leaves the Giants staring down Abdul Carter, the most explosive defender in the class, or pivoting to a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart. They could also trade back—but do they have the time or trust to wait?
This mock leans aggressive but calculated. It delivers a franchise pass rusher, a developmental QB, and a post-draft roster that’s deeper, faster, and built to compete now—with or without Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Giants final 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 3: Abdul Carter, OLB (Penn State)
There are so many options with this pick. The Giants could trade back, trade up, select best player available, or draft for need. Here, they draft best player available while also addressing a sneaky need. Abdul Carter is the pick here. He teams up with Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence to form one of the most daunting front sevens in the league.
His explosiveness, motor, and natural edge-bending talent give him Micah Parsons-lite potential. He’s not just the best player on the board—he fits exactly what Wink Martindale or Shane Bowen want to build defensively.
Round 2, Pick 34: Jalen Milroe, QB (Alabama)
After signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, New York opts to land its future signal-caller in the first round and grabs Jalen Milroe in the early second. Milroe has elite tools—arm strength, toughness, mobility—and flashed high-end upside when Alabama let him cook.
He’s far from polished, but he won’t need to start right away in this QB room. The hope? He learns behind vets and eventually blossoms into the dual-threat playmaker Daboll thought he had in Daniel Jones.
We have a trade to announce:
Round 2, Pick 43: Darius Alexander, DT (Toledo)
(Acquired from 49ers in trade)
In a (not so) surprising move, the G-Men swing a trade for two 2025 picks. They send Kayvon Thibodeaux away after selecting Carter on Day 1 along with their 99th overall pick. They pick up San Fransisco's second-rounder and grab an interior lineman after addressing best player available and future quarterback.
Alexander brings length, violent hands, and legit pass-rush acumen from the interior. He’s not just a space eater—he’s a pressure generator who can rotate in with Dexter Lawrence and give the Giants a disruptive presence up the middle.
Round 3, Pick 65: Tate Ratledge, IOL (Georgia)
Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten are Big Blue's starting guards. They need to be a bit more forward-thinking. Enter Georgia's interior mauler, Tate Ratledge.
He’s tough, technically sound, and has the kind of sand-in-his-pants anchor you need in a pocket-protecting scheme. He could realistically push for a starting job by midseason and projects as a long-term answer at guard.
Round 4, Pick 105: Cam Skattebo, RB (Arizona State)
Tyrone Tracy Jr. did an admirable job filling in for Saquon Barkley last season, but it wasn't enough. It would be unfair to assume a fifth-round rookie could fill Barkley's shoes... so maybe a fourth-rounder could.
Skattebo is a bowling ball with legs. He has elite contact balance, enough juice to churn out YAC, and brings serious third-down value as a pass-catcher. You don’t replace Barkley’s home-run speed, but you can recreate his impact by committee—Skattebo helps you get there.
Round 5, Pick 147: Smael Mondon Jr., LB (Georgia)
(Acquired from 49ers in trade)
The second of the picks acquired in the Thibodeaux trade, the G-Men snag a promising, yet under-the-radar linebacker in Smael Mondon Jr. His processing speed hasn't caught up with his play speed which he'll need to work on. But if he does, he could be a major steal at this position, and could eventually be Bobby Okereke's future replacement.
Mondon is a freaky athlete with three-down upside. If the coaching staff can get him diagnosing quicker, this pick could pay off in a big way down the road.
Round 5, Pick 154: Chase Lundt, OT (UConn)
Andrew Thomas can't stay healthy. Evan Neal's future looks more bleak by the snap. Signing Stone Forsythe and James Hudson helps, but they aren't starters or the future. UConn's Chase Lundt isn't starting-caliber now, but he could eventually be.
He has the reps (3,000 of them), strength, and IQ to be a swing tackle now with the long-term potential to bump inside. The traits are there—he just needs time and the right development plan.
Round 7, Pick 219: Jake Majors, C (Texas)
Pass protection. Pass protection. Pass protection. In the seventh round, the Giants address the interior line again, but this time with one of the best pass protectors of the draft in Jake Majors.
He’s undersized, sure, but smart as heck and consistent in both his sets and calls. Majors gives the Giants a reliable developmental center to stash behind John Michael Schmitz—or someone who could sneak his way into a backup role quickly.
Round 7, Pick 246: Kaden Prather, WR (Maryland)
Malik Nabers. Darius Slayton. Wan'Dale Robinson. Those three are actually a better trio than many would suggest, but none of them eclipse 6-foot-1. The Giants could use a bigger "X" bodied receiver. Luckily Kaden Prather from Maryland falls right into their lap at the last second.
He’s not polished, but he’s long, fast, and can stretch the field. The drop issues are real, but the frame and vertical ability give the Giants a different flavor in the receiver room—and someone who could develop into a matchup problem.
This mock doesn’t just fill needs—it shifts the identity of the Giants. They walk away with top-end talent, long-term upside, and clarity at quarterback. It’s aggressive, sure. But after two years of middling results and hot seat talk, aggressive is exactly what New York needs.