The New York Giants entered the 2025 offense in flux. After a disappointing season, ownership seemingly gave one last chance to general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. The decision made sense. After all, the Giants made the playoffs in Daboll’s first year as head coach, an impressive feat given the ineptitude of previous leadership. But the cupboard was bare and Daboll overperformed, setting expectations high for the following seasons despite the major flaws on the roster. This offseason is a clean-slate opportunity for the coaching staff and front office.
They worked quickly to get their fingerprints on the roster through free agency, adding Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to stabilize a shaky quarterback room. They handed out a huge contract to Jevon Holland to keep juicing up a promising defense.
Then they turned their attention to the draft.
Abdul Carter, Edge Defender, Penn State
A more reckless front office would have spent the third overall pick in this draft on a quarterback. Here, the Giants played it safe and smart by drafting one of the three truly blue chip prospects in the 2025 class (the other two being Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty).
Abdul Carter is an absolute force off the edge and the crazy part is he is still scratching the surface of his ability, as 2024 was his first season as a full time defensive end. He has the size, athleticism, physicality, and instincts to instantly be a game changing presence on a defensive line.
The Giants already have a ton of talent on their defensive front in Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Adding Abdul Carter to the mix makes the group downright scary. The defense should be a real strength for New York this season.
Jaxson Dart, Quarterback, Ole Miss
At some point early in this draft, the Giants were going to take a quarterback. The Daboll/Schoen tandem had yet to handpick a quarterback, which should be the marker of any true rebuilding process for a franchise. Here, they make their mark.
Jaxson Dart had a meteoric rise during the draft process. During the season, his name did not come up very often when discussing potential first round picks. It was really the weakness of the quarterback class that led a lot of teams and analysts alike to go back to the tape and look for traits to pinpoint as reasoning for Dart to be such a high selection. That being said, the appeal is obvious.
Dart is not the biggest quarterback by any means at 6’2” and just over 220 pounds, but he’s got a durable, stocky build for the NFL. Athletically, he brings a lot to the table. A former star third-baseman in high school, the ball zips out of Dart’s hands with a quick, snappy release. He moves well in and out of the pocket. He can extend plays with his feet and is a legit running threat. In his last two years at Ole Miss, Dart ran for nearly 900 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Throwing the football, Dart is great early on in a play. He is a high-level game-manager who can make great reads pre-snap and deliver the ball quickly to his first read. He handles pressure very well, and typically doesn’t shy away from making big, tough throws.
The big questions when it comes to the learning curve will be how much he can succeed in a pro-style offense and dealing with defenses that force him to second and third reads on a given play. Later in plays, Dart’s footwork deteriorates, impacting his accuracy in a big way. His arm strength is good, not great, which is further hindered by technical inconsistencies with his lower body.
Put simply, Dart benefited a lot from the Lane Kiffin offense and the talent around him at Ole Miss. He is a toolsy, talented player so it’s no wonder the Giants saw him worth betting on. Luckily, he will have the luxury of a quarterback-friendly head coach and a situation where he won’t be forced into a starting situation for at least a year.
The hope for Dart will be that he will continue to improve under the tutelage of Brian Daboll and that sitting behind Russell Wilson will also provide valuable lessons. This is Daboll and Schoen’s big, big swing for the fences.
Darius Alexander, Defensive Lineman, Toledo
The Giants return to beefing up their defensive front. Darius Alexander had some mock drafts putting him in the first round. His athleticism made him extremely hard to block at Toledo in his final season.
The first-round hype never quite made sense to me. Alexander will be 25 in his rookie season and a lot of his bright moments can be attributed to simply being much older than the guys blocking him. That being said, he makes a ton more sense in the third round where New York took him.
Alexander tested extremely well at the NFL combine and his athleticism definitely shows up in moments on tape. He is a big, strong, quick player who can blow past blockers or bull through him. He was inconsistent during his time at Toledo, though. And his production should have been much, much better given his athleticism.
His snap anticipation and pad level let him down often, causing him to get washed out of plays. When he is on, he is very difficult to block.
Luckily the Giants probably see Alexander as a rotational player who will never draw too much attention on their line because his teammates are so dominant. With the right coaching, Alexander could thrive as a complementary piece on their line.
Cam Skattebo, Running Back, Arizona State
Given how obvious the Abdul Carter pick, this was the Giants pick that sort of made me throw my hands up and go “ah man they got him?!”
Which is to say that I really like Cam Skattebo.
Anyone who watched Arizona State last year knows about the player the Giants just got. Skattebo has a powerful, compact build at 5’9” and nearly 220 pounds. Despite being a heavier back, he is an explosive athlete with a great first step to the hole, good agility, and enough long speed to outrun a defense.
He is a patient, instinctual blocker and is also a very natural receiver. His size, strength, and running style also makes him a pain in the ass to tackle. He was one of the more elusive backs in the country last season.
The combination of Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo gives the Giants a really nice one-two punch at running back to take the pressure off their passing game.
Marcus Mbow, Offensive Lineman, Purdue
Another good value pick by the Giants. Marcus Mbow had a lot of fans in the NFL Draft commentariat.
It’s easy to see why when you throw on the tape. Mbow is an impressive athlete from a movement perspective. He is light on his feet as a pass blocker and gets downhill with haste to run block.
Mbow’s weaknesses are … exactly that. He does not play with overwhelming strength and tends to be challenged by NFL level prospects who would play with power. Getting stronger will be crucial to getting on the field for Mbow. If he can, he could be a really solid guard in Brian Daboll’s offense.
Thomas Fidone II, Tight End, Nebraska
Thomas Fidone was not a player who was on my radar before the draft, but his selection in the seventh round makes a ton of sense.
Fidone was not a prolific pass catcher during his time at Nebraska, but he was a great blocker and is a truly phenomenal athlete. This is a smart flier by a Giants team that needs more juice all over their offense.
Korie Black, Cornerback, Oklahoma State
Another good late round bet by the Giants. Korie Black is a talented defensive back whose size and speed could translate really well to the NFL. He will need to become far more consistent and urgent in his play to compete with pro talent, but he is yet another athletic defender in the Giants cornerback room.
