NFL Mock Draft: 3-round NY Giants 2025 projection with no QB in the first round

New York Giants fans (and, if they're being honest, the team's front office) are likely still kicking themselves over last weekend's win over the Indianapolis Colts, in which Drew Lock found the game of his life at the worst possible time to knock Big Blue out of the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Giants were two losses away from being in the catbird's seat next spring, with every option — quarterback, Travis Hunter, trade down — at their disposal. Now, control of the draft is out of their hands.

But there was at least a little bit of good news in Week 18. The New England Patriots put together a self-defeating win of their own over the Buffalo Bills, dropping down to the No. 4 pick in the draft — and bumping the Giants up one spot to No. 3. With two QB-needy teams ahead of New York in the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, finding the next franchise quarterback might not be in the cards. But that doesn't mean that the Giants aren't well-positioned to add some impact talent at positions of need next spring.

Round 1, pick 3: WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado

It would take a king's ransom to convince the Titans or Browns to move down, which could cost the Giants a shot at either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. Plan B, though, is still pretty good: If Tennessee and Cleveland go QB, that would enable New York to take Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner and quite possibly the best overall player in this entire draft.

And it just so happens that the Giants need a boost at both cornerback and wide receiver. Hunter likely won't play both ways full-time in the NFL like he did at Colorado, but he profiles as a legitimate shutdown corner in the pros, and even if he only gets 10-15 snaps per game at wideout in specific packages, that's still more than enough for him to make a difference. If Ward and Sanders are gone, Hunter would be a heck of a consolation prize.

Round 2, pick 35: QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Of course, even if they don't use a first-round pick on a quarterback, New York can't afford not to take any shots at finding their new franchise QB. Jalen Milroe might also be an option here, but his rawness as a pocket passer may scare off John Mara (and whoever is serving as the team's GM and head coach by next spring) from making a significant investment. Dart is rough around the edges himself — just go back and look at Ole Miss' loss to Florida this season — but he's got more than enough arm talent to start in the NFL.

He's also mobile enough to be a scrambling threat, and he put up prolific numbers over the past two years in Oxford. With Ward and Sanders off the board, Dart is the best of the rest over guys like Milroe, Quinn Ewers and Carson Beck.

Round 3, pick 67: G Tyler Booker, Alabama

Of course, Hunter and a quarterback are fun, but any Giants fan will tell you that this team isn't going anywhere until it finally solidifies the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. So let's take another step in that direction with Booker, an anchor on the line for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama this season. He's a nasty, nasty blocker at the point of attack, especially in the run game, and he's got surprisingly good feet for someone as big as he is.

If the Giants can finally keep Andrew Thomas healthy and get some growth from John Michael Schmitz in year two, you can finally start to see the outline of a functional offensive line in New York. That's huge, no matter who winds up under center in 2025 and beyond.