Due to a career-best performance from quarterback Drew Lock and unfortunate results elsewhere, the New York Giants’ Week 18 hopes of landing the first overall pick vanished. Instead, the G-Men head into another offseason of transition with the third overall pick and several holes to fill across their roster.

Fortunately for New York, the brain trust duo of Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen remains intact, meaning they won’t be starting from scratch in a pivotal offseason. As the Giants look to reset their roster with a new quarterback, they will have two Day 2 picks and seven selections in total, including the third overall pick, to work with.

Continue reading for the New York Giants’ outlook for the 2025 NFL Draft.

New York Giants Needs & Draft Strategy

The upside for the New York Giants? They drafted a legitimate superstar last year in Malik Nabers and hit on multiple other picks throughout their draft. The downside? Glaring holes remain across the roster—most notably under center.

While New York will no doubt be aggressive in pursuit of a quarterback, it is very much a case of the best player available ahead of April’s draft.

Quarterback is the most important position in football, possibly all of sports, and especially if you intend to win. The Giants and the Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen partnership must win in 2025 to keep their jobs. Yet, as of now, with Tommy Devito and Drew Lock currently unsigned, there isn’t a single NFL-caliber quarterback on the roster.

This is, by a wide margin, the Giants’ biggest need. After Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito combined for just 15 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a meager 6.0 yards per attempt, the team has no choice but to find a new option at QB. Not only that, but they also need to start fresh under center altogether.

Nearly as important as getting it right at quarterback is protecting that player. In that sense, New York’s second-biggest need is at offensive tackle. When healthy, Andrew Thomas excels on the left side, but his performance on the right side presents a different challenge.

Former first-round pick Evan Neal has been a disaster and was eventually benched for veteran journeyman Jermaine Eluemunor last season. Bad protection can ruin a young quarterback, and the Giants can’t afford that risk after allowing the second-highest pressure rate in the NFL last year.

Finally, on the defensive side of the ball, New York would greatly benefit from another cornerback. The team has done well to add talent in recent drafts, but an upgrade over Adoree’ Jackson is needed. The uber-athletic veteran wasn’t expected to factor in much last season but ended up playing 14 games for a leaky defense.

The lack of personnel was evident, as the Giants allowed the fourth-highest yards per attempt (7.7) and finished 24th in Expected Points Added against the pass. There is a solid foundation in New York’s secondary, but it must shore up a glaring weak spot.

Potential New York Giants Draft Picks 2025

If the New York Giants hope to come away from the draft with a highly touted quarterback this year, their decision may already be made for them. Should one of the top two QBs in the class (Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders) be available when the Giants are on the clock at No. 3 overall, it will only be because the other is already off the board.

The draft’s top two quarterbacks have considerable differences, but from the Giants’ perspective, Ward would probably be the better fit. The former Washington State/Miami Hurricanes passer’s ability to make plays out of structure is similar to Josh Allen and Daniel Jones, the two quarterbacks with whom head coach Brian Daboll has had the most success.

If New York misses out on both top signal-callers, however, it will likely turn to the draft’s top tackle. That could be either Ohio State’s Josh Simmons or Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. Though both would be worthy selections, the Giants would likely favor Simmons given his experience at right tackle and the presence of Andrew Thomas on the left side.

Though the Giants need an upgrade at cornerback, that need is considerably less pressing than those at quarterback and tackle. As a result, they will likely wait until Day 2 to address the position in Rounds 2 or 3.

Taking advantage of their high second-round pick, the Giants could get lucky and find former East Carolina standout Shavon Revel Jr. atop Friday’s proceedings. Otherwise, Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston, Texas’ Jahdae Barron, or Mississippi’s Trey Amos could be a strong consolation prize.

Regardless of when it comes, adding a cornerback will give New York a much-needed boost on the back end.