Giants 4-round mock draft: Will New York get its quarterback?

The New York Giants are, finally, on their bye week. This is the time of the year when we can all take a breath and collect ourselves before the stretch run to the playoffs.

For the Giants, the playoffs are only a mathematical possibility at this point and extremely unlikely in any rational universe. So we once again find ourselves turning to the NFL Draft before Thanksgiving, though this time it's with the feeling that we could be in for a true course change for the Giants. Making things more interesting -- and possibly setting the stage for a fast turnaround in 2025 -- is the fact that the Giants' roster isn't far off from the top teams in the NFC. They can play with anyone, and may only be a couple pieces and a bit of development from contending.

The Giants currently hold the second overall pick following their Week 10 loss to the Carolina Panthers. So with that in mind, I ran a four-round mock draft to try and address the Giants' needs and set them up for future success.

As per usual, I used the mock draft simulator from Pro Football Network.

The results

Round 1 (No. 2 overall) -- Cam Ward, QB, Miami

The Jaguars picked Missouri wide receiver Luthor Burden (the top player on PFN’s board) in almost every mock I ran. That left Cam Ward for me, and it was a pretty easy decision to take him.

Ward has solid size, good pocket presence and short-area quickness, great field vision, and one of the most elastic arms I've ever seen. He might not have truly ELITE arm strength, but he can challenge all areas of the field and do so from off-platform and out of structure.

Ward is pretty solidly my QB1, but he isn’t without risk. Ward’s willingness to go big play hunting, and his ability to do so successfully, is an undeniable asset to his game and one of the things that will make him attractive to the Giants. But they’ll need to strike a balance in his development between aggressively attacking and taking what the defense gives him.

I did consider a small trade back here, on the supposition that the Giants could fall in love with Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. If I was able to trade back within the Top 5, odds are that one of Ward or Milroe would still have been available. In one mock I ran, the Raiders offered me their entire draft plus their 2026 second-round pick to move up to No. 2 overall when the Jaguars passed on Burden. That was fun, but not realistic, so I didn't use the results for this piece.

Other considerations

Will Johnson (CB, Michigan)

Trade back (small trade)

Round 2 (No. 33) -- Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky

As I said in a recent College Football Primer, the Giants need to find an answer next to Dexter Lawrence. Dex may be the best defensive tackle in the NFL, but that won't last if he has to play every snap, take on double or triple teams every time, and is generally exposed to excessive amounts of wear and tear.

The duo of Walker and Lawrence would give the Giants a truly hilarious amount of size, power, and athleticism on the defensive interior. Defensive line coach Andre Patterson has excelled at honing natural traits, and Walker is a 6-foot-6, 350-pound behemoth with absurd quickness and athleticism for his size. He might not fix the Giants' run defense all by his lonesome, but I wouldn't envy any interior line unit that would have to go against Lawrence and Walker.

I'll note that my preferred route would be to address the cornerback position with this pick and look for a defensive tackle in Round 3. However, there weren't any cornerbacks who provided good value here, and Walker is too good to pass up.

Other considerations

Jonah Savaiinaea (OL, Arizona)

Donovan Jackson (OG, Ohio State)

Kyle Kennard (Edge, South Carolina)

Round 3 (No. 66) -- Tate Ratledge, iOL, Georgia

Ratledge is a bit taller than I prefer for offensive guards at 6-foot-6, but he's pretty athletic, a powerful blocker, and boasts a mean streak a mile wide.

Greg Van Roten isn't a long-term answer for the Giants at right guard, and Ratledge has the ability to play both left and right guard. He also has a high football IQ and solid initial quickness to go with his play strength. The Giants use a pretty diverse rushing attack, and Ratledge should have scheme versatility at the next level.

Other considerations

Rod Moore, S, Michigan

Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss

Dane Key, WR, Kentucky

Round 4 (No. 102) -- Keon Sabb, S, Alabama

I don't know if GMJoe Schoen would draft another safety after selecting Tyler Nubin in the second round of the most recent draft, but Sabb sticks out like a sore thumb on the board here. That's partly because he suffered a broken foot earlier in the season, but he's a versatile safety with good size, high football IQ, and plenty of toughness (he played three quarters against Tennessee with that broken foot). He also has a nose for the football, with four interceptions (one returned for a TD), and nine passes defensed over the last two years.

Sabb started his collegiate career in Michigan and was an important role player in their great 2023 defense. He transferred to Alabama this year and immediately became a starter. The Giants could use his traits on the back end of their defense.

Other considerations

Tyler Baron (Edge, Miami)

Jabbar Muhammad (CB, Oregon)

Barion Brown (WR, Kentucky)

Fourth round (No. 134) -- Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington

I didn't want to leave the draft without adding to the cornerback position. The good news is that Shane Bowen's defense doesn't demand the same elite athletic traits as Wink Martindale's does. That said, Ephesians Prysock has some very intriguing traits that could make him a steal at this point.

To start, he's VERY long for a corner at 6-foot-4, but manages to be tall without being leggy. He isn't a high-hipped corner and is also a surprisingly fluid athlete, allowing him to stay relatively low in his backpedal. He likely needs development in the technical aspects of playing cornerback, but his traits and upside are tantilizing at the end of the fourth round.

Other considerations

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