2025 Giants NFL draft grades: Grades for every New York selection
If the New York Giants want to improve upon an abysmal 2024 season, they'll need to get to work improving the roster in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The G-Men finished a dismal 2024 season with a 3-14 record that was tied for the worst in the NFL. The team's midseason release of quarterback Daniel Jones – just a year and a half into his four-year, $160 million extension – was just one part of a chaotic downward spiral that painted a picture of an organization in dysfunction last year.
New York now holds the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft thanks to strength-of-schedule tiebreakers and still are seeking a long-term solution for a franchise quarterback in the post-Eli Manning era.
Even after signing veteran quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson in the offseason, the quarterback position remains at the top of the list of New York's roster needs entering the draft. Neither Winston nor Wilson is signed past the 2026 season, and the Giants have been desperate to find the next face of their franchise.
In addition, the Giants need help on the offensive line, particularly on the right side, where an aging Greg Van Roten and pending free agent Jermaine Eluemunor are expected to hold things down again in 2025.
Here are Paste BN Sports' grades for each of the Giants' selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Giants NFL draft grades
Round 1, Pick 3: Abdul Carter, edge, Penn State
The Giants make an easy decision and take the consensus second-best player in the class. Carter is an elite athlete at the position who moved from off-ball linebacker to edge and he has plenty of room to grow in the NFL. New York did the right thing by not reaching for a quarterback and instead taking a blue-chip player when given the opportunity to do so.
Big Blue's pick seemed to be trending this way for some time, but it still feels a bit strange to see the team exhibit some restraint in their quarterback pursuit given the desperation that has colored the rest of their offseason plans for the position. In terms of maximizing pure value, there was no real alternative to Carter at this slot. An absolute wrecking ball off the edge, the 6-2, 250-pounder offers a Pro Bowl-caliber package of athletic tools that he should wield even more comfortably as he grows more accustomed to full-time work rushing off the edge. File the question of how New York will utilize their newest disruptor alongside Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux under the category of good problems to have.
Round 1, Pick 25 (from HOU): Jaxson Dart, QB, Mississippi
- Ayrton Ostly, Paste BN Sports: C
New York traded back into the first round and gave up their second- and a fourth-round pick in this year's draft to do so. Dart could be a long-term answer at the position but has a steep learning curve in the NFL after running a very quarterback-friendly offense in college that relied heavily on RPO and play-action concepts. This could be a move to keep coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen off the hot seat but could take more time than they have to pan out.
Round 3, No. 65 overall: Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
- Ayrton Ostly, Paste BN Sports: A-
- Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Paste BN Sports: B-
Round 4, No. 105 overall: Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
- Ayrton Ostly, Paste BN Sports: C+
Round 5, Pick 154: Marcus Mbow, IOL, Purdue
The Giants get a prospect who was predicted to be a sure-fire Day 2 pick mid-way through Day 3. Mbow played right tackle for the Boilermakers but his short arms and lean frame project best inside at guard. He has a powerful punch despite his size and could be a plug-and-play starter on the interior for the Giants as a rookie.
Round 7, Pick 219: Thomas Fidone II, TE, Nebraska
Fidone II fell in the draft due to injuries in his college career. When healthy, his linear speed and explosiveness is outstanding given his size (6-foot-5, 243 pounds). He was a reliable blocker with untapped potential as a pass catcher in the NFL. He offers a good TE2 of the future for the Giants.
Round 7, Pick 246: Korie Black, CB, Oklahoma State
New York gets Black easily a round after he was expected to be off the board. He has great size and speed at 6-foot, 192 pounds and 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He can work well in zone or man coverage systems. He needs to improve his feel in zone to make in the NFL but he has the foundational traits to be a potential starter down the line.
Giants 2025 NFL draft picks
- Round 1 – No. 3 overall: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
- Round 1 – No. 25 overall (from HOU): Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
- Round 3 – No. 65 overall: Darius Leonard, DT, Toledo
- Round 4 – No. 105 overall: Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
- Round 5 – No. 154 overall (from Seattle): Marcus Mbow, IOL, Purdue
- Round 7 – No. 219 overall: Thomas Fidone II, TE, Nebraska
- Round 7 – No. 246 overall (from Buffalo): Korie Black, CB, Oklahoma State