The New York Giants are gearing up for a pivotal offseason as they hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite their high selection, the team may find themselves out of range to draft their franchise quarterback. This scenario mirrors last year’s draft, where the Giants, armed with the sixth overall pick, unsuccessfully attempted to trade up for a quarterback.
General Manager Joe Schoen spent the 2024 offseason exploring trade opportunities to secure a top quarterback but ultimately fell short. With the stakes even higher this year, Schoen may have better luck in a draft class featuring a wider array of quarterback talent. In a recent mock draft by The Draft Network’s Jaime Eisner, Schoen is depicted as successfully pulling off a blockbuster trade to move up to the No. 1 overall pick, securing Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
In this hypothetical deal, the Giants send a significant package to the Tennessee Titans to move up two spots. The trade includes their No. 3 pick, a second-round pick (No. 34), a third-round pick (No. 65), and a 2026 second-round selection in exchange for the coveted top pick. This move allows the Giants to land Ward, a prospect with immense potential.
Eisner explains the motivation behind this aggressive move, citing the lack of appealing options in free agency as a driving force. “General Manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are under immense pressure to get it right in New York,” Eisner writes. “They can’t afford to rely on options like Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Jimmy Garoppolo, or Jameis Winston. Instead, they must secure their guy, and Cam Ward represents a quarterback with the highest upside in the class.”
Ward’s credentials back up the Giants’ interest. The Miami quarterback is ranked as the No. 1 quarterback prospect on Pro Football Focus’s Big Board after a stellar 2024 season. Ward threw for 4,313 yards, leading the nation with 39 touchdown passes against just seven interceptions. His remarkable performance earned him a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist. TDN’s scouting report lauds Ward as “an uber-talented signal-caller whose arm talent and maturity give him an immense ceiling at the position.”
If the Giants pull off such a trade, it could redefine the franchise’s trajectory. With Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll’s jobs on the line after a dismal 3-14 season, landing a quarterback of Ward’s caliber is essential. While the cost to move up is steep, the potential reward of securing a franchise quarterback makes the gamble worthwhile. Ward represents a beacon of hope for a team desperate to turn things around and compete in the NFC East.
