Could Giants Consider Drafting Non-QB In Round 1?

The New York Giants moved up to No. 2 overall in the current 2025 NFL Draft order following Sunday's 14-11 defeat to the New Orleans Saints. If the Giants clinch a top-two selection, that guarantees them an opportunity to draft one of Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward at quarterback. General manager Joe Schoen has backed himself into a corner and must select a signal-caller.

Draft Network in-house scout Daniel Harms had the Giants taking Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter in his latest first-round mock draft. While there's a decent chance a non-QB like Hunter will be the best player available when the Giants are slated to pick, they simply can't pass up an opportunity to draft a quarterback. Ownership will understandably place pressure on Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

Passing on a quarterback would indicate the current Giants' regime has the luxury of time. They don't. Schoen and Daboll are about to experience their second consecutive losing campaign and 2025 will be critical to displaying their future vision of success. That must include a potential franchise QB.

Schoen set the Giants back when he signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year extension worth $160 million during the 2022-23 offseason. That error in judgment reached a boiling point this season when Jones was benched and officially granted his release. There is no realistic succession plan at quarterback that doesn’t include a first-round pick. To state the obvious, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito aren’t the answer.

The crop of free agent quarterbacks is extremely shallow. The Giants can't afford to enter 2025 with a Justin Fields, Andy Dalton, or Joe Flacco at starting quarterback. They’re certainly not close enough to make a run at Aaron Rodgers. Alternatively, would Carson Beck, Drew Allar, or Quinn Ewers be available in the second round or later? The Giants would have to be extremely bold and confident in their evaluation to hitch their wagon to a perceived lesser quarterback prospect.

No, the onus will be on Daboll and Schoen to identify the ideal first-round quarterback fit. The offensive supporting cast is loaded with young talent that has been held back by lackluster quarterback play this season. Playmakers like Malik Nabers, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Theo Johnson are awaiting the arrival of a franchise signal caller they can grow together with. The offensive line is also closer to competence than it's been in recent years.

Daboll is also the ideal coaching candidate to develop a quarterback like Sanders or Ward at the next level. His experience alongside Josh Allen in Buffalo has prepared him for what comes next. Remember Daboll turned Jones into a playoff-caliber quarterback in 2022 before Jones began suffering recurring injuries with things eventually falling apart.

The Jones mistake backs the Giants into a corner heading into a critical offseason. Schoen and Daboll will be fortunate to receive another opportunity to lead the franchise in 2025. Assuming that expectation comes to fruition, drafting a quarterback becomes a necessity for a regime that's entering a make-or-break period.