Let the NFL mock drafts begin. This week the godfather of mock drafting — ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. — released his first pass at the 2025 NFL mock draft.
The New York Giants hold the third overall selection in the upcoming draft and are desperately searching for their next franchise quarterback.
As fate would have it, Kiper predicts they will get that player in Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes head coach, Deion Sanders.
This is the best-case scenario for the Giants. Their Week 17 win over the Colts slid them to No. 3 overall, and now finding a new QB1 in the first round isn’t guaranteed. But Daniel Jones is gone, and Drew Lock is a free agent, so the Giants have to do something to clean up one of the worst passing games in the league. New York will be weighing all options, and it might ultimately be forced to trade up into the top two to get its guy. But here, Sanders falls into the Giants’ lap without any extra moves.
Sanders is super accurate, completing 74% of his throws this season. He could step in right away and lift the entire offense, including standout 2024 first-rounder Malik Nabers. Time is running out for GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll; they have to get this right.
No one is doubting that Sanders could become a capable NFL quarterback, but is he a) the right fit for the Giants and b) ready to play in the NFL as a rookie like Jayden Daniels was?
Kiper has Miami quarterback Cam Ward first overall followed by Cleveland bypassing Sanders for his Colorado teammate, wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner.
Cleveland has quarterback issues, too. They ended the season with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe under center after Jameis Winston took them on a roller coaster ride again this year in relief of Deshaun Watson.
To see them look past Sanders could be wishful thinking. Many early mocks have Ward and Sanders going 1-2 and the Giants wrestling with the choice of taking Hunter or possibly trading back.
