Giants may not have to mortgage their future for a QB after all based on latest mock draft

The biggest need that the New York Giants have entering the 2024 NFL offseason could not be clearer - they need a quarterback. After six years of Daniel Jones, the Giants finally realized he was not the answer (better late than never, I guess). Drew Lock had one great game and Tommy DeVito showed flashes in 2023, but neither of those guys are long-term solutions either.

The Giants could look in free agency at a guy like Sam Darnold, but do they really want to pay him high-end money, especially after how his season ended? The non-Darnold options are even less exciting. The easiest way for New York to get their long-term solution is in the NFL Draft.

The problem, though, is that thanks to a late-season win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Giants lost out on the No. 1 overall pick and will instead pick third overall. They can still get a great player, obviously, but with the 2025 class being fairly weak at the quarterback position, the odds of New York getting a quarterback at No. 3 overall are slim. To guarantee a chance at selecting one of Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, trading up would have to be done, and it would not be cheap to do that.

Fortunately, according to Daniel Jeremiah's latest mock draft on NFL.com, the Giants would not only have the opportunity to stick at No. 3 overall to get a quarterback, but would have their choice of Ward or Sanders at that slot. Ultimately, Jeremiah has Giants selecting Ward.

"The Giants are desperate for a quarterback. Ward’s strong arm and playmaking ability would be a great fit," writes Jeremiah.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah's first mock draft is best case scenario for Giants' future

Avoiding a trade-up and getting to choose between Ward and Sanders is the dream scenario. Is it likely? Probably not, but Jeremiah's mock draft does make sense. After all, Jeremiah bases his mock drafts on what he's hearing around the league.

At No. 1 overall, he has the Tennessee Titans selecting Abdul Carter from Penn State. While the Titans could use a quarterback, it isn't inconceivable to expect Tennesee to take who they believe is the best overall player in the draft. Tennessee's president of football operations, Chad Brinker, recently said that the Titans would not pass on a generational talent. If he believes Carter fits that mold, Carter could easily wind up in Tennessee.

It's anyone's best guess as to what the Cleveland Browns will do with the No. 2 overall pick. They could look to select a quarterback, but with Deshaun Watson locked in long-term, does that make the most sense? It wouldn't be easy for Cleveland to build the best team around that quarterback with Watson making high-end money. They could trade down in search of more draft capital. They could also, like Tennessee, go with the best player available. Jeremiah has them doing just that with Travis Hunter.

Chances are, at least one of Tennessee or Cleveland will take a quarterback or trade down with a team searching for one, but as long as both quarterbacks don't come off the board before No. 3, the Giants are in a good spot. Plus, as Jeremiah's mock draft shows, it isn't a guarantee that either of the first two picks is a quarterback. If the Titans and Browns want the best players, Carter and Hunter, in any order, are their guys. That should be general manager Joe Schoen's hope, as he'd get to have his choice of quarterback without having to trade a single asset.