Big Blue View
Giants get elite playmaker and a quarterback with first two picks
Another week, another New York Giants seven-round mock draft.
ESPN has released its 2025 Mock Draft Simulator. To perhaps change up the board from what we have worked with in recent weeks, I used the ESPN Simulator.
Let’s see what happens.
Cam Ward went No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans. Shedeur Sanders went No. 2 to the Cleveland Browns. I don’t believe the Browns will take Sanders in this spot, but that’s how this mock worked out.
I get to choose between Hunter and Abdul Carter. Considering that other than quarterback the Giants have added nothing of significance to their roster on offense this offseason, and that Hunter would help on both sides of the ball he has to be the choice.
Where would he end up playing the most? Not my problem. It is a good one for Brian Daboll to figure out, though.
A week ago, I moved back into Round 1 to select Dart. There has been at least a bit of national media chatter about the idea that given where the Giants are with a head coach, and perhaps a GM, on the hot seat that John Mara would not sign off on trading away draft assets to go get a quarterback.
So, I pre-determined that in this mock draft I would sit and wait to see what happened. Dart was still the player that I really wanted in this spot, and I still advocate for trading up to get him. It’s what I did in the SB Nation writer’s mock draft a few days ago.
With Cleveland having selected Sanders, there are two likely danger spots for the Giants in trying to wait until 34 for Dart. The Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 and the Los Angeles Rams at No. 26.
I feel fortunate that Dart is still on the board. I make this pick with zero hesitation. Renowned NFL draft analyst Todd McShay has Dart in the same tier with the same grade as Sanders in his rankings. I get Dart a full 32 picks later than Sanders was selected, so I see that as incredible value.
Understanding that the odds of finding a franchise quarterback decrease after Round 1 of the draft, I think this is a swing worth taking. If Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, or whatever regime comes after them, don’t like what they see from Dart this doesn’t stop them from taking another swing at quarterback in 2026 or 2027. Dart is the 28th-ranked prospect on the ESPN Big Board.
This is one of the potentially jarring things about switching simulators. Using the NFL Mock Draft Database and Pro Football Network simulators, Jackson is almost always off the board somewhere in Round 2.
When I saw him...
