New York Giants News & Rumors

Giants Draft Fallout: Wilson, Dart, Daboll, Sanders, Schoen, Browns, Rams, Pack, Vikes

April 25th, 2025 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Post-draft, Brian Daboll confirmed Russell Wilson will remain the Giants‘ starter entering the season. Considering Jaxson Dart‘s profile, it should not be expected the former Ole Miss and USC passer would have a good chance to overtake Wilson before the season. But Daboll and GM Joe Schoen’s New York fates are almost definitely tethered to Dart now.

After passing on Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix last year, the Giants traded three Day 2 picks to land Dart at No. 25. They did not view any of the non-Cam Ward QBs in this class as worthy of No. 3 overall, where Abdul Carter went as expected. But the decision to go with Dart over Shedeur Sanders provided a signature sequence during this draft’s opening night.

A pre-draft report indicated the Giants were split on Sanders (as the Dart pairing gained steam), and while the QB still had support in the building going into the draft, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicates the Colorado prospect’s momentum cooled as the coaches became involved in the evaluation process. Rumblings of Daboll preferring Dart look to have been accurate. The Giants did more work on Sanders compared to Dart, per the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard, who indicates Schoen scouted on in-person Dart performance. Conversely, a pre-draft assessment tabbed the fourth-year Giants GM as having “lived in Boulder.”

It would appear Daboll drove the bus for Dart, as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz offers, and teams’ reported issues with Sanders’ attitude look to have included a Giants encounter. A Daboll-Sanders pre-draft meeting did not go well, according to The Ringer’s Todd McShay (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy). A quarterback who had entered the pre-draft process as a fairly safe top-10 pick fell out of the first round, with Giants and Steelers decisions defining the second-generation NFL prospect’s night. The Steelers chose Oregon D-lineman Derrick Harmon four picks before the Giants moved back into Round 1 for Dart.

The Giants initially contacted other teams about trading up, as Duggan adds Schoen saw some of his offers to move back up rejected. We heard midway through the first round the Giants had launched their effort to move back into Round 1 — a rumored pursuit that we now know was Dart-based — but he did not see the offers gain much traction until around 22.

The Steelers passing undoubtedly intensified the Giants’ effort to land their second-favorite QB in this class (after Ward trade efforts failed). The Chargers passed to draft Omarion Hampton, but the Texans allowed the Giants to move up three spots later. It cost the team Nos. 34, 99 and a 2026 third-round pick. The Giants held a second third-rounder this year, helping move the trade across the goal line.

Green Bay and Minnesota turned down trade offers for the Nos. 23 and 24 overall picks, according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman and the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. It is safe to assume Schoen made calls to both NFC North teams, as he was leery of another QB-needy club swooping in. The Browns, Saints and Rams had been connected to making a move at this juncture of the draft, while the Steelers’ need remained after their Harmon pick.

Several teams made the Packers offers, Brian Gutekunst said. Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said talks intensified shortly before his team’s No. 24 pick. In addition to the QB-needy lot, the Falcons were angling to move up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr., which they did (via the Rams) at No. 26. That move cost a first-round pick, while the Giants escaped without needing to part with their 2026 first.

New York’s move came in part because of a fear the Browns were eyeing Dart, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Other teams shared this view, even though a draft-day report connected the Steelers, Rams and Saints to Dart. Though, the Browns were able to keep their Travis Hunter negotiations with the Jaguars quiet for weeks; they look to have done the same with Dart. Holding the top pick in Round 2 and a second selection three spots later (thanks to the Hunter swap), Cleveland now has its choice of the remaining QBs. The team could have put together an enticing package to move up, but it stood down. The Giants just made sure the AFC North club could not choose Dart. The Rams were not a factor for Dart, per Raanan and SNY’s Connor Hughes.

Although the Giants were still meeting on QBs this week, per Schoen, Leonard adds Daboll and Dart had begun texting daily after the Giants sent a sizable contingent to Ole Miss’ mid-March pro day. That communication understandably cooled before the draft, leaving Dart in the dark, but he will be asked to do what Daniel Jones could not. (That said, Jones was still a six-year Giants starter.) His tenure, however, moved Daboll and Schoen to the hot seat. Considering Jones was a Dave Gettleman pick, it had always seemed logical — despite the Wilson and Jameis Winston signings — this regime would tab its QB in this draft.

The Giants will aim to give Dart a full-season redshirt, Duggan adds. A previous plan did not get off the ground, as Jones replaced Eli Manning in Week 2 of his rookie season. Wilson’s post-Seattle play also may not be enough to hold off Dart, but the RPO-based college passer will almost definitely require some in-season acclimation time. Calls for the rookie will likely be loud, especially as the Giants’ schedule includes eight games against the NFC North and AFC West — not to mention the four against the teams that played for the NFC title last season.

The Schoen-Daboll regime also stands to be eager to sink or swim with a quarterback it drafted, rather than allow Wilson to steer the ship too far off course while John Mara evaluates the current power structure’s future. Going into training camp, however, Wilson will have a firm grip on the job. This will be new territory for the potential Hall of Famer, however, as he has not needed to fend off a highly drafted rookie previously.

Giants To Exercise Kayvon Thibodeaux’s Fifth-Year Option

April 25th, 2025 at 8:09am CST by Adam La Rose

APRIL 25: Carter indeed became the Giants’ pick at No. 3, but Schoen confirmed (via The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson) the Giants will exercise Thibodeaux’s 2026 option. The Giants will now have their formidable three-EDGE group signed beyond 2025. Burns’ deal runs through 2028, while Carter’s rookie-scale contract — which will include a fifth-year option — can go through 2029.

APRIL 24: While their attention remains focused on the opening round of tonight’s draft, the Giants will soon have a decision to make with respect to Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s short-term future. May 1 looms as the deadline to exercise or decline his fifth-year option.

In February, it was reported New York could be expected to pick up the option for 2026. Doing so would put Thibodeaux in line to collect $14.75MM that season, a figure well short of the top of the current edge rush market. The former fifth overall pick has battled inconsistency during his first three years in the league, however, something which has made the looming option decision a talking point.

On that note, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports the Giants are still “likely” to exercise Thibodeaux’s option. The 24-year-old has plenty of time to develop further, and a repeat of his 11.5-sack 2023 campaign would certainly make a short-term investment worthwhile. With 2024 trade acquisition Brian Burns already attached to a lucrative deal, though, moving on from Thibodeaux and replacing him with a rookie like Abdul Carter tonight has been mentioned as a possible maneuver for general manager Joe Schoen and Co.

As Schwartz writes, however, the Giants’ plans on the Thibodeaux front are unlikely to change even if Carter (seen by many as the favorite for the No. 3 pick) is selected. The Penn State product has experience as an inside linebacker, something which could help New York find ways to keep him along with Thibodeaux and Burns on the field together. Especially if the Giants elect to keep Thibodeaux in the fold for at least the next two years, the matter of a long-term arrangement will become something to watch.

The Oregon product has expressed a desire to remain in the Big Apple, although he does not expect negotiations on a multi-year accord to take place this offseason. Thibodeaux’s production in terms of sacks and pressures took a notable step back in 2024 compared to the previous campaign. That can partially be attributed to the fact he was limited to 12 games last year, but questions remain about the potential for a long-term stretch of production matching the talent he showed in college.

The Giants currently sit mid-pack in the NFL in projected 2026 cap space, and absorbing a spike in pay with respect to Thibodeaux that year would not be a challenge. By this time next week, it will be known if he will remain in place beyond the coming campaign.

Giants Acquire No. 25, Select QB Jaxson Dart

April 24th, 2025 at 11:22pm CST by Ben Levine

There was some speculation about the Giants jumping back into the first round as they pursued a QB, and the front office has made that a reality. Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports that the team has acquired pick No. 25 from the Texans. The Giants will use their new pick to select Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart.

Full trade details:

Giants acquire:

2025 first-round pick (No. 25)

Texans acquire:

2025 second-round pick (No. 34)
2025 third-round pick (No. 99)
2026 third-round pick

With the Titans committed to Cam Ward at No. 1, holding there despite multiple Giants offers (one of which including the team’s 2026 first-round pick), Big Blue pivoted to the draft’s second wave of QBs. The team did extensive homework on some of the draft’s other top passing prospects. That included Dart, but it also included Shedeur Sanders, who was generally considered the second-best player at his position.

There was some speculation that a team could make a move up the draft board to select the Colorado product early in the first round, and there was some belief that the Giants could even ignore the draft’s blue chip prospects and simply use No. 3 on Sanders. Instead, Sanders — after a report the Giants were split on the two-year Colorado starter — ended up falling all the way to No. 25, and the Giants made the move…to select Dart.

It’s a pretty stunning development, but it may not be as much of an indictment on Sanders as it is a vote of confidence for Dart. The Ole Miss product recently came up as a player Brian Daboll liked, and the prospect quickly evolved from a potential Day 2 pick into a potential Day 1 pick throughout the pre-draft process. Daboll-Dart connections had developed for a bit leading up to the draft, and the fourth-year HC may well be staking his job on the SEC prospect — after Dave Gettleman-era draftee Daniel Jones defined the first three years of Daboll and GM Joe Schoen‘s tenure.

Dart had three strong seasons at Ole Miss, but he took it to another level in 2024. The prospect finished the campaign having completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. Dart also continued to show some ability on the ground, compiling 495 rushing yards on 124 carries. Thanks to an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl, Dart separated himself from the likes of Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe…and he apparently did enough to jump Sanders on the draft board.

Dart, 22 in May, will now join a Giants squad that was clearly hunting for a future signal caller. The Giants obviously believe in Dart’s ability considering the investment, but with Daboll and Schoen on the hot seat, leadership may not be inclined to immediately toss the rookie into the starting lineup.

The Jones era came to an end last season, and Tommy DeVito is the only holdover from the former QB grouping. Since free agency started, the team added a pair of notable veterans in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, and both of those players will surely sit above their new rookie teammate on the depth chart. Wilson notably only inked a one-year contract with New York, and while Winston’s deal is for two seasons, Dart could have a pathway to a starting gig in 2026. Whether the current regime is around to see it remains to be seen.

Giants Attempting To Trade Back Into First Round

April 24th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Abdul Carter‘s status as the clear-cut top prospect available to the Giants at No. 3 led to the team bolstering an area at which it already had made considerable investments. As a quarterback need remains, the team is following through on a previously rumored effort to attempt to move back into Round 1.

The Giants are indeed attempting to climb back into the first round, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. It would stand to reason this effort is aimed at landing a quarterback. The Giants were unable to leapfrog the Steelers, however, though it is not known if they made a firm offer to climb in front of the QB-needy team.

Linked to both Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart today, the Giants have done extensive homework on both players. Both remain on the board, as the Steelers went with Oregon D-lineman Derrick Harmon. The Giants would have more avenues back into Round 1, obviously, and it will be interesting to see what they are willing to give up. New York holds the No. 34 overall pick. At this rate, one of Dart or Sanders could still be on the board by then.

Both might, but the Browns, Saints and Steelers stand to join them in the much-rumored derby to trade up for a passer. The Browns also have an extra second-round pick to use for such a purpose. Brian Daboll-Dart connections had emerged, but a Thursday report indicated Sanders sat second among QBs on the Giants’ big board. That being true would certainly point to a Sanders-based trade-up, but Dart rumors have been fairly steady here. And the Rams (No. 26) were connected to Dart — along with the Saints and Steelers — earlier today.

With Daboll and Joe Schoen on hot seats, the Giants may need to come out of this draft with a long-term hopeful. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston do not inspire much confidence, even if Carter strengthens their pass rush. The second wave of QB options awaits, and the Giants are a key place to monitor.

Giants Select Abdul Carter At No. 3

April 24th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

While a surprise took place with the second overall pick, things have gone according to plan with the Giants. New York has retained the No. 3 pick and used it on Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. Carter becomes the second pass rusher taken in the top five picks by New York in the past four drafts, joining Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was drafted No. 5 overall by in 2022.

For a while, it was unclear whether or not Carter was truly destined for New York. We continued to see calls from the Giants as they attempted to land the No. 1 overall pick from Tennessee as well as calls into New York as teams considered trading up to get Carter. There were even rumors that Carter was still in play to land in Cleveland at No. 2 overall. Ultimately, everything stayed as planned, and the Giants walk away with a player many considered the best prospect in the draft class.

Carter graded out as college football’s second-best edge rusher in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. His 12.0 sacks this season were good for seventh in the nations, and he led the NCAA with 23.5 tackles for loss. He finished his collegiate career as the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American.

Carter joins a pass rushing group that is currently led by Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. Thibodeaux is headed into the final guaranteed year of his rookie contract, but the Giants are expected to exercise his fifth-year option. Burns, on the other hand, is under contract through the 2028 season and should be around for Carter’s first few years in the league.

Carter should immediately push Thibodeaux for starting reps opposite Burns. At the very least, the Giants now have three starting caliber pass rushers that they can employ in any combination. Regardless of their needs, Big Blue walks away with one of the draft’s top prospects at No. 3 overall.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Giants Still Trying To Trade Up To No. 1; Shedeur Sanders QB2 On Team’s Board?

April 24th, 2025 at 2:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans are already believed to have rebuffed multiple Giants offers. A year after a failed Drake Maye trade pursuit — as the Patriots rejected Giants and Vikings proposals for No. 3 overall — New York appears shut out of the Cam Ward draft slot. Drew Lock‘s shootout win over the Colts in Week 17 set this chain of events in motion, bumping the Titans to No. 1 overall.

Although Tennessee has stood firm on No. 1, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz notes the Giants are expected to make a final push for the pick. This would undoubtedly require a better offer. Thus far, all that has come out indicates a Giants third-round pick is part of the team’s trade package. Tennessee’s Ward interest would certainly require far more than that, and upping the price on a New York team carrying two hot-seated power brokers makes sense for a Titans team with leverage.

The Titans are not expected to go for any offer at this point, being sold on Ward as the player who can turn the team around. The Giants, then, are viewed as likely to have Abdul Carter ticketed for the Big Apple. The Browns (or another team) will have Travis Hunter to add. Positional needs would naturally make the Giants favor Hunter over Carter, but they are believed to view the Penn State linebacker-turned-EDGE as a prospect talented enough to table their QB need to later in the draft. On that note, the Giants have begun charting a potential path back into Round 1 for a passer, joining the Browns and Saints in this mix.

Brian Daboll-Jaxson Dart connections have emerged over the past several days, but Schwartz adds a notable update to the team’s QB hierarchy. Shedeur Sanders is the No. 2 QB on the team’s big board. While we are amid a leaguewide smokescreen avalanche, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes that an outside chance exists the Giants take Sanders at No. 3 to check off a box that has defined the Daboll-Joe Schoen regime’s tenure. Though, that is not the expectation for tonight, as Sanders is in danger of falling out of the first round.

The Giants have plenty of familiarity with Sanders. They spoke with the Colorado prospect at the Combine, hosted him on a “30” visit, dined with him before Colorado’s pro day and worked him out in Boulder last week. Darius Slayton‘s sister, Maleika, also serves as Colorado’s director of on-campus recruiting. The team, however, is believed to be split on Sanders after this eventful evaluation.

It should be considered likely he and Dart are the Nos. 2 and 3 options on Big Blue’s board, as the Post’s Ryan Dunleavy views Jalen Milroe as being a lower-ranked player for the team. With multiple Daboll-Dart connections surfacing, the rumor of a Daboll-Schoen schism is again relevant. Schwartz indicates the two decision-makers are aligned. Giants fans had better hope this is the case, as this is a pivotal draft after the team’s Daniel Jones journey lasted six years without much payoff.

Jones came to New York a year after the team chose Saquon Barkley over the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Allen. It was believed at the time the Giants did not have a consensus on a QB in 2018. Pat Shurmur was believed to be higher on Allen, while Darnold support existed as well. John Mara was also believed to be an Allen fan at the time, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. While revisionist-history alarm bells may be sounding here — as has been the case with other teams re: Patrick Mahomes‘ 2017 draft journey — Mara being high on the eventual Bills icon at the time and seeing his GM draft Barkley may prove relevant now that his franchise needs a quarterback again.

Mara did not fire his GM and HC, despite a 3-14 season, shouldering some of the blame for Jones’ continued employment. With Schoen and Daboll in-season firing candidates, Mara making an ownership call for a quarterback at No. 3 — or at any point during the early rounds — would be a seismic development, one that would point to little confidence remaining in his current power structure.

The Giants, however, view Carter as a player who would supplement Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Packages featuring the trio would be deployed, as Schwartz adds the Giants were intrigued by the ex-Nittany Lion off-ball linebacker’s versatility. Having seen another ex-Penn State pass rusher morph from ILB to dominant edge rusher (Micah Parsons) does not hurt. Barring something unexpected, another sequence in which the Giants strengthen a strength on the edge, reminding of the Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul picks, is on tap. What happens next will prove more interesting, as a glaring QB need would remain.

Titans Rejected Giants’ Offer For No. 1 Overall; Cleveland, New York Discussing Trades Back Into Round 1

April 23rd, 2025 at 11:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants held the No. 1 overall pick going into Week 17, but a Drew Lock-led upset win over the Colts dropped them out of that slot and vaulted the Titans to pole position. Week 18 did not change Tennessee’s draft position, and the team now appears a day away from adding Cam Ward as its next franchise centerpiece.

Around the Combine, we heard the Giants as a team interested in acquiring the No. 1 pick. Even as Ward-Titans links emerged, the Giants took their shot. They called the Titans multiple times with trade offers for No. 1, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. New GM Mike Borgonzi confirmed Tuesday the Titans are staying at 1, with a Ward pick imminent.

Multiple offers emerged, per Russini, who describes the Giants as being the most aggressive team with regards to acquiring the pick. Although the Giants’ offer included at least their 2025 third-rounder (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter), the full trade package is unknown, but this push — presumably for Ward — reminds of their Drake Maye pursuit last year.

New York made a strong offer for New England’s No. 3 overall pick. The deal would have given the Patriots the Giants’ first- and second-round picks last year and first-rounder this year; instead, the Patriots took Maye. The Giants then passing on J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix and Bo Nix thrust them into their current predicament, holding a top pick without a quarterback deemed worthy of it.

Strongly linked to passing on a QB at No. 3 to take one of this draft’s top two talents — either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter — the Giants look to be readying to trade back into Round 1 for a passer. They are in talks with teams with picks near the bottom of the first round, Russini adds. They join the Browns in that effort. Cleveland, New York and New Orleans appear in this boat, as the Saints have also been tied to tabling their QB need beyond their No. 9 overall pick.

Both the Browns and Giants added two veteran QBs apiece, which at least would send a capable starter for both teams into Week 1. But Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson are not enviable options for 2026; they are bottom-half options for 2025. Yet, each team has access to this draft’s best players. It is looking like the Browns and Giants’ trade-up efforts will need to be monitored after Hunter and Carter go off the board. The Giants may be split on Sanders, but more Jaxson Dart–Brian Daboll buzz is circulating. Chatter continues that Daboll likes the Ole Miss QB more than Sanders or any other non-Ward option, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes.

Although the Browns have still been linked to Carter in recent days, Hunter looks more likely to be Cleveland-bound. When asked about his potential draft destination, Carter’s reply (via SNY) pointed to a New York landing. The Giants traded for Brian Burns last year and used a top-five pick on Kayvon Thibodeaux in 2022. The latter has not quite justified that investment, though he has not been a bust like 2022 No. 7 overall pick Evan Neal. Carter, however, could displace Thibodeaux in New York’s lineup. Then again, the team has a past (under John Mara) of adding on the edge (Mathias Kiwanuka, Jason Pierre-Paul) when it already possessed a strong group.

The Steelers‘ No. 21 overall pick has come up with regards to a trade-up spot, per Graziano. That information comes after an early-week report indicated Pittsburgh is interested in trading down. This would seemingly add the Steelers to the list of QB-needy teams who do not believe Shedeur Sanders or one of the other second-tier options is worthy of the pick. Mike Tomlin being a Sanders fan would stand to negate a trade-down move, but the Steelers were not originally planning to use No. 21 on a QB. A Sanders fall could change that, and that will be a Day 1 draft subplot to monitor.

Teams are also potentially leery of the Rams at No. 26, Graziano adds, with trade-up discussions appearing to factor Matthew Stafford‘s age into this equation. The Giants pursued Stafford aggressively in February, but the Super Bowl-winning QB regrouped and stayed with the Rams. It would seem unlikely the Rams would use their top draft asset on a QB in a maligned class, but the team is running short on time to add a Stafford heir apparent.

Browns, Giants, Patriots Receiving Calls About 2nd, 3rd Picks; Titans Staying Put

April 23rd, 2025 at 3:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

APRIL 23: Teams interested in the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 picks, with the Patriots also receiving calls, are interested in Hunter, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes. While the Browns view it as “foolish” not to listen to offers for their No. 3 choice, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds that the expectation remains Cleveland will go with the Colorado superstar.

Hunter-to-Cleveland buzz picked up around the Heisman winner’s pro day earlier this month, with Fowler indicating the two-way phenom opted to run routes at the showcase event in part because it would satisfy the Browns. Cleveland views Hunter primarily as a receiver, and while he still wants to play both ways, other teams — the Giants and Titans among them — have pegged Hunter as a cornerback first. Deciding to run routes with an aim to impress Browns brass, after Carter-to-Cleveland rumors had circulated, certainly represents a sign Hunter will be Ohio-bound Thursday.

APRIL 22: The Browns and Giants are both receiving trade interest for the Nos. 2 and 3 selections in Thursday’s draft, according to ESPN’s Peter Schrager.

The months-long pre-draft process has yielded a consensus expectation that Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter will be the first three picks, likely in that order. Ward is a virtual lock to be taken by the Titans with the first pick, and Hunter has gained steam as a potential Brown over the last few weeks. That would clear the way for Carter – considered by many to be the best player in the class – falling to the Giants at 3.

However, a last-minute trade involving a top-three pick would be a major last-minute shake-up to the top 10, and potentially beyond.

Such a trade would not involve the Titans, who have listened to offers over the last few months but never seriously entertained moving the draft’s top pick. General manager Mike Borgonzi confirmed that the team rebuffed trade interest and decided on their preferred target.

“We’ve come to a consensus, the entire organization, to stay at that pick,” said Borgonzi (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer).

That has pushed teams who want to move up to inquire with the Browns and the Giants about the availability of their picks. Targeted players in a trade-up would be Hunter, Carter, and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, per Schrager.

It’s also worth noting that trade chatter picks up the week of the draft almost every year, as noted by The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson. 49ers general manager John Lynch is not expecting many trades early in the draft because multiple teams want to trade down and target a deep class, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen said last week that he had received calls about the No. 3 selection, but indicated that the team would stick and pick instead. But, after spending plenty of draft capital to acquire starting edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants could still prefer to trade down instead of taking Carter. That would allow them to get a top quarterback prospect – potentially Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post – at a better value while adding more picks, either in this year’s draft or the future.

Giants-Jaxson Dart Pairing Gaining Steam; Team Split On Shedeur Sanders?

April 22nd, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearing the finish line of a second straight quarterback research project ahead of a draft, the Giants have covered their bases on Shedeur Sanders. Although they are not expected to draft the second-generation NFL prospect at No. 3 overall, rumors indicating a trade-up move to acquire him are still circulating.

The Giants spoke with Sanders at the Combine, hosted him on a “30” visit, dined with him before Colorado’s pro day and worked him out in Boulder last week. Darius Slayton‘s sister, Maleika, also serves as Colorado’s director of on-campus recruiting. Describing Joe Schoen‘s thorough examination of Sanders, one GM informed ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter the fourth-year GM “has lived in Boulder.” Still, Sanders’ stock has undeniably fallen since last season, when Giants connections first emerged.

Sanders-Giants hype has “cooled dramatically” since December, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, who indicates Jaxson Dart buzz is building. The Ole Miss product came up as a player Brian Daboll liked, and Hughes calls Dart a name to watch regarding a trade-up move. Dart has been tied to the Saints and Steelers as well, as the three teams join the Browns as clubs interested in the second wave of QBs in this draft — though, perhaps not with a high pick in the round.

A trade-up derby of sorts is shaping up after the Titans’ Cam Ward pick (one almost certain to begin the draft). Sanders does not seem out of the question to be a Giants target after they make a pick at No. 3 overall (presumably Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter), but Schefter adds a belief within the league points to some in the Giants’ organization are higher on Sanders than others. A recent report also pegged the Daboll-Schoen relationship becoming increasingly tense — as their seats warm — though Daboll, as could be expected, said (via the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz) he and his former Bills coworker are aligned.

After Dave Gettleman pick Daniel Jones‘ extended runway to prove a worthy Eli Manning successor did not produce a smooth takeoff, Schoen and Daboll may have just one more offseason to identify their own QB. John Mara said in January his patience has almost run out with the state of the team, raising the stakes for this draft. While Schoen has said the signings of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston give the team flexibility, not leaving this draft with a long-term option will make for a difficult sell.

The prospect of Sanders falling out of the first round should not be ruled out, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. As our Ely Allen noted in his prospect evaluation of the two-year Buffaloes starter, rumblings about the QB’s attitude turning teams off emerged during the pre-draft process. The Giants may have been one of them, as Breer describes the team as having gone through ups and downs with the passer during its lengthy evaluation.

While Sanders’ attitude may have alienated some during the earlier stages of this process, Breer adds the polarizing prospect is believed to have displayed more modesty recently. With his stock no longer approaching that of Ward, it would understandable if Sanders’ tune has changed as teams determine whether a player whose on-field traits have not proved captivating can be a long-term centerpiece.

Sanders falling out of the top 10 appears more likely, as a recent Breer offering indicated an owner may need to become involved for a team to pull the trigger in Round 1. While not viewing that assessment as gospel, Breer still can envision a Sanders fall. This could put the Steelers to a decision at No. 21, but with a report Mike Tomlin likes the QB surfacing, clubs have a range to target when preparing a trade-up maneuver. Sanders’ landing spot has probably become the most interesting storyline leading up to the draft.

Aaron Rodgers’ Age, Durability Were Giants’ Biggest Concerns

April 20th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Giants seriously considered pursuing Aaron Rodgers, but concerns about his age and durability were too significant for team president John Mara to move forward with a potential signing, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll preferred Rodgers to the other quarterbacks available in free agency, but Mara needed to be convinced. Rodgers has a reputation as an intense personality in the locker room with no shortage of off-field controversies

The Giants reached out to three members of the last Jets regime – head coach Robert Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas, and defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel – who said that Rodgers was “no problem in the locker room,” per Dunleavy. (Manuel was hired in January as the Giants’ new defensive pass game coordinator.) There was no way around the mercurial quarterback’s attention-grabbing words and antics, but the team was willing to overlook that, especially for how cheap Rodgers would be.

What the Giants could not get past, according to Dunleavy, was the potential for Rodgers to miss time this season due to injury. Mara has repeatedly expressed his lack of patience with the team’s lack of results in the last two years, and Rodgers showed signs of limited mobility in 2024 after tearing his Achilles a year prior. He’s also openly debated retirement in each of the last few offseason, including this one, making it clear that he’s not a long-term answer at quarterback.

Instead the Giants went with younger players in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on incentive-laden one-year deals to see if one can emerge as a plus starter in 2025. They’ve also done their homework on the current draft class and could add a new franchise quarterback next week.

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