Big Blue View
Giants land Jalen Milroe at No. 34
Mel Kiper of ESPN is out with a two-round mock draft [Insider only], and the results for the New York Giants are — to say the least — interesting.
Kiper has Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter going to the Giants at No. 3. As has become standard, Kiper has Cam Ward going No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans and Travis Hunter No. 2 to the Cleveland Browns.
ESPN’s draft guru has the Giants selecting a quarterback at 34. He gives the Giants Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. Kiper didn’t choose Milroe over Jaxson Dart (No. 26, Los Angeles Rams) or Tyler Shough (No. 33, Browns), but Milroe and the Giants are an interesting match.
Here is what Kiper said about each pick.
Kiper says:
Even after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, the Giants have been linked to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. I’m not ruling it out. Neither Wilson nor Winston is a long-term answer. However, the additions mean the Giants can at least toy with passing on the quarterbacks in Round 1 in favor of one of the class’s top two prospects. Travis Hunter is off the board, but Carter would take this New York defense to new heights.
In his first season as a full-time edge rusher (after playing primarily off-ball linebacker in past years), Carter had 12 sacks and 23.5 total tackles for loss. I see elite traits on the tape. And considering the Giants have holes all over their roster, they might opt for the best player on the board. They’d have something with Carter, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence II up front.
Valentine’s View: There are some who might argue for defensive tackle Mason Graham or for the best offensive tackle on the board here. I think, though, that if the Giants stick and pick here Carter is the best play. Because he is the best player.
Graham would be a natural, easy fit next to Dexter Lawrence. I believe, though, that Carter’s ceiling is higher than Graham’s. Yes, the Giants have Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. So what? Figure it out. As for offensive tackle, I would prefer an interior offensive lineman somewhere on Day 2 and a developmental tackle later.
Kiper says:
After the Giants passed on Shedeur Sanders in Round 1, they could come back to the quarterbacks on Day 2. There is some love for Milroe in NFL circles right now, and he could fit well in New York. He’d have the chance to learn behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, developing his pre-snap reads and improving his short-to-intermediate accuracy. Milroe throws a great deep ball and can change a game with his legs. He ran for 20 scores in 2024.
This quarterback class doesn’t have the same talent as the classes in 2024 or even 2023 did,...
