At 2-13 and facing the possibility of landing the No. 1 draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the New York Giants will be selecting a quarterback. After entering the 2024 season with Daniel Jones in the second year of his four-year, $160 million deal, Big Blue did not expect to find themselves in this position.
Jones was released and signed by the Minnesota Vikings, leaving the Giants in desperate need of a franchise quarterback.
While this draft doesn’t boast a deep quarterback class like last year—when top prospects Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels were selected early by QB-needy teams—there are still viable options for the Giants.
These prospects offer hope of pulling the team out of the misery they’ve endured for far too long. Despite much of the attention being on Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders (the son of Deion Sanders), one draft insider sees New York taking a huge gamble on a different young slinger.
Draft insider Matt Miller has the G-Men selecting Miami's Cam Ward as their next QB
Despite the hype surrounding Sanders, who had a career-best season at Colorado, ESPN Draft Insider Matt Miller predicts the G-Men will select Heisman finalist Cam Ward out of Miami as their quarterback of the future.
Here's my December 23 prediction: The New York Giants select Cam Ward (QB, Miami) with the first overall pick.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) December 23, 2024
Ward, who was somewhat overshadowed this past season by Sanders’ stellar play, still delivered an outstanding year in his first and only season at Miami. After spending two seasons with Washington State, the 22-year-old quarterback thrived with the Hurricanes, passing for over 4,100 yards and a career-high 41 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, while averaging more than nine yards per throw.
Though Miami stumbled in their regular season finale against Syracuse—a loss that crushed their College Football Playoff hopes—Ward still led the Hurricanes to 10 regular-season wins, an improvement from their seven-win campaign the previous year.
This bold prediction by Miller shouldn’t be dismissed. Ward might just be the right quarterback to revitalize a Giants offense that has consistently been among the league’s worst for years. With his strong arm and ability to run and scramble, Ward brings a dynamic skill set the Giants have been sorely missing.
If Ward is available and the Giants take a chance on him, it wouldn’t be a mistake. For a team that has been searching for a franchise quarterback to get them back on track, Ward could be exactly what Big Blue needs.