One of the most intriguing questions of the 2025 NFL Draft is how the New York Giants will use the No. 3 overall pick.
The franchise entered the offseason with a major need at quarterback, leading to hype around Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders potentially heading to the Big Apple.
Sanders (6-foot-1.5, 212 pounds) earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors as a senior after leading the country in completion rate (74%) while throwing for the fourth-most passing yards (4,134) and second-most touchdowns (37).
However, the Giants’ added veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, seemingly opening the door for a different approach at No. 3 given the questions surrounding Sanders’ potential at the NFL level.
In a new mock draft from Eric Edholm of NFL.com, New York is projected to take the best available prospect with the third selection, passing on Sanders, before trading back into the first round for a project-type quarterback with notable inconsistencies.
This scenario features Penn State EDGE Abdul Carer coming off the board to the Giants at No. 3 after a unanimous All-American campaign as a junior.
And New York is projected to give up draft capital to the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 24 overall pick before selecting Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.
Milroe is the third quarterback off the board, according to Edholm, behind Sanders to the New Orleans Saints (No. 9 overall) and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart to the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21).
“With Jaxson Dart off the board, the Giants can’t hesitate to move up for a QB if they want one,” Edholm wrote. “Milroe makes sense for New York, even if he’s a dice roll.”
Milroe (6-foot-2, 217 pounds) is one of the most explosive players in the class and routinely turned heads as a ball carrier at Alabama.
The former four-star recruit totaled 32 rushing touchdowns over his last two seasons and set the program record for the most rushing touchdowns from a quarterback as as senior with 20.
As a passer, though, Milroe dropped off in production in 2024 as Alabama underwent a coaching transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer.
Milroe completed 64.3% of his passes for 2,844 yards with 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions as a senior. The year prior, he broke out by completing 65.8% of his passes for 2,834 yards with 23 touchdowns to six interceptions
While Sanders is likely the more polished passer at this point, the Giants could benefit from having Milroe sit behind Wilson and Winston next season. And New York, at least in this projection, gain the top defensive prospect in Carter, too.
One of the remaining questions is how much the Giants may be willing to give up for a trade scenario like this projection features.
“The Vikings, with just four picks, might be an eager trade partner,” Edholm wrote. “In this scenario, Big Blue gives up Pick Nos. 34, 99 and 105 to select an explosive playmaker at 24.”
The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from Thursday through Saturday in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
