Giants
07 Mar 2025

byJohn Schmeelk&Dan Salomone

The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.

The NFL Combine changed what you're thinking about the first round of the draft.

John Schmeelk: FictionIt confirmed what I already thought about Cam Ward, who has separated himself as the top quarterback. Meanwhile, both Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter have separated themselves as the two elite position players. It also confirmed for me that there are probably going to be fewer players with true first-round grades when compared to other seasons. Picking third for the Giants is not a bad place to be since Ward, Hunter, and Carter would be great gets, but I would not feel great about picking 8th-10th when I would be selecting a player that is equivalent to a prospect that went 18th-20th last season. There are few blue-chip, or even second-tier, players in this class when compared to previous ones.

Dan Salomone: FactFor me at least, things start to set in at the NFL Combine. Before that, it's a lot of noise and conjecture. Don't get me wrong there is plenty more noise and conjecture coming down the pike but the rubber hits the road in Indianapolis. Cam Ward is solidifying himself as the top quarterback and probably won't slip past No. 2. Meanwhile, Abdul Carter put himself firmly in the discussion for first player taken. A lot of people had him as the top overall prospect but wouldn't pencil him at No. 1 in their mock drafts. That seems to be changing. And then there is Travis Hunter, who seems hell-bent on playing both sides of the ball at the next level. He said at the combine that he's leaving it up to the teams to tell him no.

There is a possibility that quarterbacks go 1-2-3 in the draft.

John Schmeelk: FictionI love Charles Davis forstirring the potwith his most recent mock draft where he selected this exact scenario. I think it is more likely that only one quarterback goes in the top five than three. There is love for Jaxson Dart but not top-10 love. Shedeur Sanders could go anywhere from the top six to the teens. It takes only one team to love a quarterback for him to go very high in the draft. If Cam Ward is not selected with the top overall pick, whether by the Titans, or by a team trading up for him, I would be surprised.

Dan Salomone: FactIn his first mock draft of 2024, Charles Davis was nearly right with five quarterbacks in the top 12, including Bo Nix to the Broncos. It ended up being six, which further illustrates the point that quarterbacks just keep creeping up as the draft process plays out.

Edge rusher has emerged as the deepest position in the 2025 draft class.

John Schmeelk: FactThis was my choice before the NFL Combine and I have not changed my mind. There are good edge rushers going into Round 4 in this draft class. Pro Football Focus has 10 in their top 50 and another seven between 51 and 100. Defensive tackle is close with 12 in their top 100, but it falls just short of edge. If you want to prioritize depth after the top 100, defensive tackle has an argument to make, but I'll lean towards favoring top-end talent over Day 3 players.

Dan Salomone: FictionThe defensive front is certainly loaded, but the running back class is poised to make some noise. That was backed up at the NFL Combine, which this year produced the fastest average group of running backs. When Iowa's Kaleb Johnson is Daniel Jeremiah's fifth-ranked running back, you know the position is deep.

Aside from quarterback, the biggest question about the Giants in free agency is what they do on the offensive line.

John Schmeelk: FictionAfter quarterback, I think the next biggest question/investment comes at cornerback, where there are many good players under the age of 30 coming up in free agency. D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward, Rasul Douglas, Byron Murphy Jr., Carlton Davis, Asante Samuel Jr., Paulson Adebo and Kristian Fulton are all players that have showed they can play cornerback in the NFL. It's likely going to take an eight-digit per year investment to secure most of that group, but it might be worth it to slide in a dependable veteran cornerback in a young group that needs reliable play on the outside. There aren't as many offensive linemen that will come in at the top of the market, especially at right guard where the Giants have their specific need. They should be able to grab someone in the second wave for a reasonable number that will give them respectable play at the position.

Dan Salomone: FactThe offensive line will be a question mark until it's not. Like Joe Schoen said in Indianapolis, the unit played well enough for the Giants to win through six games while everyone was healthy. But that's when things went off the rails due to injuries, which again proved too much to overcome. No matter how solid you might think you are at a position the Giants have four starters on the line returning you can never have enough depth.