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There is still one month left in the 2024 NFL regular season, but the college football year has nearly concluded. With one of the worst single-season performances in recent history, the New York Giants need to already be preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft as they project to own the No. 1 overall pick in April.
If there is one positive from the Giants' 2024 season, it's within their current rookie class. Malik Nabers, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Dru Phillips and Tyler Nubin all look like solid pieces to build on as reliable starters for the foreseeable future. If New York plans to end their never-ending rebuild, Joe Schoen has to hit again.
At this point in the year, there is nothing suggesting that the Giants will enter Green Bay with anything other than the No. 1 overall pick. With a gaping hole at quarterback following Daniel Jones' departure, that is typically a good omen for a team struggling as much as New York. Unfortunately, there is no Caleb Williams-type prospect in the incoming class to be confident in a consensus selection. The College Football Playoffs may change that, but for now, New York has their choice of options, for better or worse.
While the Giants are still expected to go with a quarterback with their top pick, the team has more issues than just the one everyone looks at. There is still a lot of time left, but Schoen needs to already be looking at the upcoming offseason.
Giants 2025 NFL Draft target: Shedeur Sanders
Assuming the Giants keep their top draft pick and land anywhere within the top five, Shedeur Sanders needs to be the first name on Schoen's radar. He may not be the No. 1 overall prospect, but no college quarterback is more NFL-ready on paper than Sanders.
Realistically, even if they end up with the No. 1 overall pick, New York could trade down and still end up with Sanders anywhere from pick No.5 to No. 10. Perhaps that is what happens ahead of the draft. Either way, leaving Green Bay with the Colorado quarterback has to be at the top of Schoen's mind in April.
Through four years at Jacksonville State and Colorado, Sanders has thrown a combined 132 touchdowns to just 25 interceptions. His quick release and above-average mobility are ideal traits for a prospect entering this situation with an offensive line that has not been stable in over a decade. He is not without his flaws but there is no quarterback prospect better suited for the Giants than Sanders.
Giants 2025 NFL Draft target: Will Johnson
If the Giants shock everyone and decide to refrain from taking a quarterback, Will Johnson should be the top prospect on Schoen's board. Perhaps Johnson's teammate, Mason Graham, is ahead of him, but defensive tackle is not a positional need for New York at this moment in time. Cornerback, however, has always been a need.
For whatever reason, the Giants just can never make the right cornerback pick in the first round. Deonte Banks is not looking like the solution in his second year. He is still one of the better picks in the last decade, as Giants fans only pray to forget the night the team took DeAndre Baker and Eli Apple in the first round.
If Schoen decides to go down that well again, Johnson is the guy. As the consensus top cornerback of the class, Johnson has not allowed a touchdown since 2022 while playing practically every down on both sides of the field. Wherever he ends up, he will be a lockdown shadow corner immediately off the jump.
The focus is all on a quarterback for New York, but cornerback is just as much of a need. The Giants infamously have just one interception in 2024 through 13 weeks and have struggled to defend top receivers ever since Schoen let James Bradberry go in 2022.
Rookie Dru Phillips has arguably been Brian Daboll's best defensive player in 2024 and one of the best overall defensive backs in the entire league. However, as a slot nickel back, Phillips is not the team's true CB1. Cor'Dale Flott has been impressive in moments, but neither he nor Banks have looked like long-term solutions.
Giants 2025 NFL Draft target: Cam Ward
Should the Giants trade down, there is a chance they drop into the lower half of the first round. Few scenarios exist where Schoen gives up his first-round pick entirely, but without an obvious generational talent at the top of the board, it is fully within the realm of possibility that he moves down.
In the case of a trade, expect the Giants to go all-in at quarterback. If the team gives up draft capital, Miami's Cam Ward would be a stellar pick in the mid-to-late first round. Ward is the second-best quarterback prospect behind Sanders who could certainly surpass him by the end of the pre-draft process.
Ward is not as high of a prospect as he was earlier in the year but the physical tools are all still there. His tendency to force big plays and turn the ball over is concerning, but at this point, that might be just what the Giants need.
Giants 2025 NFL Draft target: Tyler Booker
Looking at the second round, the Giants need to target their gaping holes in the offensive line with either their second or third pick of the draft. Alabama's Tyler Booker is the consensus best guard in the draft, which is where the team needs the most help.
When he is not injured, Andrew Thomas has been one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Evan Neal has not been the answer at right tackle, but Jermaine Eleumanor has been a quality blocker opposite of Thomas. The main problems with the line are on the interior with guards Jon Runyan and Greg Van Roten.
In 2024, Runyan has statistically been one of the worst guards in the league, owning a 55.3 player grade from PFF. Van Roten has only been a touch better. Booker has the potential to be a day one starter no matter where he lands and with him hovering around the 50-60 mark on most draft boards, Schoen needs to make him a priority on Day Two.
