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New York Giants draft scouting reports: All of BBV’s prospect profiles

2024 NFL Draft - Round 1

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Looking for info on a potential Giant? Start here

Big Blue View’s Chris Pflum has been grinding away at prospect profiles since mid-January, and there are now more than 100 of them published. Below, links to all of them sorted by position to make it easier for you to find what you are looking for.

Quarterbacks​

Running backs​

Wide receivers​

Tight ends​

Offensive linemen​

Defensive tackles​

Linebackers​

Edge defenders​


Defensive backs​

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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...couting-reports-all-of-bbvs-prospect-profiles
 
2025 NFL Draft prospect profile - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

NCAA Football: Fiesta Bowl-Penn State at Boise State

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Just how good is Ashton Jeanty?

Running backs don’t get quite as much love in the NFL Draft as they did in decades past. That, however, has been changing some as defenses have been geared toward stopping explosive offenses.

By moving a defender out of the tackle box and into deep shells, defenses are creating opportunities for running backs to find success.

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty was the best running back in the country in 2024 and is coming off a truly historic season. He might not have elite measurables, but he is a truly elite athlete when it comes to moving and controlling his body in space.

It seems very unlikely that the New York Giants Jeanty, but he’ll be a factor in the 2024 season.

Prospect: Ashton Jeanty (2)
Games Watched: vs. Washington (2023), vs. Georgia Southern (2024), vs. Oregon (2024), vs. UNLV (2024)

Measurables​

Kent Lee Platte | RAS.football

Strengths​


Best traits

  • Vision
  • Contact balance
  • Quickness
  • Agility
  • Play strength
  • Competitive toughness

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has an elite combination of contact balance, vision, and play strength for the position.

Jeanty sports a very dense physique at 5-foot-8, 211 pounds with a rare combination of natural leverage and power. Jeanty lacks elite measurables and doesn’t have stand-out speed or explosiveness. However, he is an elite athlete from the perspective of moving his body through space and solving problems in real time.

He has truly incredible balance, consistently picking his way through traffic, absorbing or bouncing off glancing blows, running through arm-tackles, and regaining his feet on the move.

His frame, combined with his vision and balance, make it incredibly difficult for defenders to bring him down, and he racked up yards after contact at a historic pace. Jeanty had so many yards after contact, that they eclipsed the next most productive back in the country’s total yardage.

Jeanty shows impressive patience in the backfield, doing a great job of manipulating his tempo and pathing to help set up his blockers, as well as manipulate defenders. His vision and understanding of the blocking scheme allowed him to anticipate where holes would appear, as well as what defenders would do at the second and third levels.

The result is that tackling Jeanty is a team activity and it was almost impossible for a single defender to bring him down without a perfect angle and form tackle.

Jeanty has true Three-Down upside and is a capable pass protector who’s unafraid of coming up to aggressively meet defenders. He’s also a reliable receiver out of the backfield as well as the slot. He wasn’t asked to run a diverse route tree, but he ran his routes well. Jeanty presents a good target for the quarterback, frames the catch well, and does a good job of securing it before turning up field.

Weaknesses​


Worst traits

  • Long speed
  • Top end measurable athleticism

Anything listed here feels like nitpicking in the extreme. Jeanty might be the single cleanest prospect in the draft.

IF we want to look at the aspects of his profile that are less than phenomenal, they’re his lack of elite speed and arm length. Jeanty has plenty of breakaway runs, however he doesn’t quite have angle-breaking speed in the open field.

He also has short arms at 29 ¼ inches. That can impact his pass protection, as he needs to be particularly aggressive in coming up to meet defenders, as well as his pass catching. Jeanty is a good receiver, however he has a very small catch radius and can struggle to haul in poorly thrown passes.

The only other (slight) concern with Jeanty is the sheer volume of work he received in 2024. He carried the ball an incredible 374 times last year, in addition to 220 carries the year before. All told, he’s touched the ball 660 times over the last two years.

Game Tape​


(Jeanty is the Boise State running back wearing number 2.)

Projection​


Ashton Jeanty projects as a starting running back with scheme versatility and All Pro upside.

It doesn’t take long watching his tape to settle on the fact that Jeanty is a special player and one of the best running backs to come out of college in recent memory. His vision, contact balance, play strength, and competitive toughness are truly elite, and he also has enough quickness and agility to act on those traits.

He might not have the explosive athleticism of Saquon Barkley or the serpentine movement skills of a young Christian McCaffrey, but Jeanty’s ability to simply disregard contact is in a league of its own.

Does he fit the Giants?
Yes, though value is unlikely to align.

Final Word: A Top 10 talent.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...-ashton-jeanty-rb-boise-state-scouting-report
 
Giants news, 4/24: Draft Day is here, Abdul Carter, Shedeur Sanders, John Mara, more headlines

NFL: New York Giants at Pittsburgh Steelers

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

New York Giants headlines for the first day of the 2025 Draft

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

From Big Blue View​

Other Giant observations​

NFL Confidential: How the Giants could flip ‘the draft on its head’ | FOX Sports​


Just don’t rule out Giants owner John Mara as a wild card — and that could lead to Shedeur Sanders in New York.

“Mara loved Josh Allen back when they took Saquon [Barkley],” one source said. “He had his Eli (Manning) successor in Allen and didn’t push for it. That’s stuck with him. What if Thursday night he just says, ‘F--- it, it’s my team. I want the QB.’ That flips the draft on its head.”
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Joe Klatt sees Abdul Carter as Parsons+ in the NFL​


Abdul Carter could make a bigger impact than Micah Parsons in the NFL

More from @joelklatt. pic.twitter.com/UM1NWJdKsR

— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) April 21, 2025​
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Pat Leonard: Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have to get this NFL Draft right — or else | New York Daily News​

This is Joe Schoen’s fourth NFL Draft as Giants GM. And it could be his last if he doesn’t get it right.

Those are the stakes for a regime that failed so badly last season, they made the skies over MetLife Stadium look like the runway at Teterboro. That is the pressure and desperation that guides Schoen and Brian Daboll Thursday with aims to possibly select two players in the first round, including a position player at No. 3 overall and their next franchise quarterback in a trade up from the top of Round 2. NFL sources believe Schoen preferred Shedeur Sanders throughout the process but told the News in March that Daboll had warmed to Dart.
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Russini’s what I’m hearing, NFL Draft edition: The buzz about Giants, Sanders and the QB2 race | The Athletic​

The Giants made waves last week by scheduling last-minute private workouts with quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe and Tyler Shough. I’m told those workouts didn’t necessarily seal any decisions, but it’s clear New York is doing its homework. The team had Sanders ranked as its No. 1 quarterback headed into the combine, but things have since shifted.

For now, I’m told they want to be ready for anything — including the possibility of drafting a non-quarterback at No. 3 and then trading back into the first round later to grab “their guy” at QB.
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2025 NFL Draft: One draft prediction for every NFL team | PFF​


The Giants Trade Back Into The First Round For A Quarterback. New York appears poised to select Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick, so with its second selection, a move back into the late first round to secure its quarterback of the future feels likely, targeting either Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart. Sanders is the higher-ranked prospect on the PFF Big Board, coming in at No. 45 compared to Dart at No. 132.

2025 NFL Draft: Pro execs, scouts, coaches rank and evaluate the top 18 prospects in this QB class | NFL.com​


The 2025 NFL Draft's quarterback class has been analyzed by draftniks for months, but what do the actual teams think of this crop? Tom Pelissero reveals QB prospect rankings and evaluations based on dozens of conversations with league executives, scouts and coaches.

Giants veterans putting the work in​


Getting after it ⚙️ pic.twitter.com/cuCbmP3JQU

— New York Giants (@Giants) April 22, 2025​
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NY Giants mock draft: Our final projection for 2025 NFL Draft | The Record​


Round 4, Pick 105: Dylan Fairchild, OG, Georgia. Fairchild is a physical player both as a run blocker and pass protector with good footwork and a solid base. He also has proven to be an effective pull blocker and has the athleticism and technique to regularly get the second level in the run game. Fairchild is still somewhat of a developmental prospect despite his 24 starts for the 'Dawgs, so this would be an ideal prospect to work with without forcing him into the lineup right away. Most of his experience has come at left guard, but there is some flexibility to his game.

Giants announce expanded draft coverage on WFAN & NBC 4 New York | Giants.com​


Fans can tune into WFAN (101.9 FM/660AM) for a live Draft preview and call-in show from 7:00 -9:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 23, the eve of the 2025 NFL Draft. Hosted by John Schmeelk, Paul Dottino and Tony Pauline, fans will get the latest insights heading into the draft, presented by Tommy's Tavern + Tap, a proud partner of the New York Giants.

John Schmeelk will host a live reaction show on Giants.com, brought to you by Crestron, the presenting sponsor of the Giants Draft Room, immediately following the Giants' picks with Super Bowl champion Shaun O'Hara on Thursday and Friday, and with Paul Dottino on Saturday. The shows will stream live on Giants.com, the Giants mobile app, Giants TV and Giants YouTube.

Around the league​


Commanders GM Adam Peters discusses his strategy as draft nears | The Washington Post

Adam Peters: Commanders won’t hesitate to make trades with Eagles, Cowboys or Giants | Pro Football Talk

Eagles are not picking up Jahan Dotson’s fifth-year option | Bleeding Green Nation

Colts' Anthony Richardson embracing QB battle vs. Daniel Jones: 'Competition, I love it' | NFL.com

Patrick Mahomes - Chiefs passing attack ready for 2025 breakout | ESPN.com

Joe Flacco: All you can ask for is chance to compete | Pro Football Talk

Saints GM Mickey Loomis waiting for 'clarity' on QB Derek Carr's shoulder, says draft plans unaffected | NFL.com

Kirk Cousins could be targeted by Browns, Steelers, Vikings in potential trade: Sources | The Athletic

5 surprise NFL Draft first-round picks to look out for | SBNation.com

Warren Moon undecided on letting Cam Ward wear No. 1 if QB gets drafted by Titans | CBSSports.com

Lions release former Giant QB Jake Fromm | Pro Football Talk

Chargers, Lions to meet in 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game | ESPN.com

Former Giant Jay Feely, former NFL kicker, to run for House of Representatives seat in Arizona | The Athletic

BBV mailbag​


Have a Giants-related question? E-mail it to [email protected] and it might be featured in our weekly mailbag.

BBV YouTube​


You can find and subscribe to Big Blue View YouTube from the show’s home page

BBV on X: Follow @BigBlueView | Ed Valentine: @Valentine_Ed | Threads: @ed.valentine | Bluesky: @edvalentine

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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...rter-shedeur-sanders-john-mara-more-headlines
 
Round 1 ‘things I think’: New York Giants hit the draft home run they needed

2025 NFL Scouting Combine

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Joe Schoen gets a quarterback, and pumps some hope back into the franchise

After two horrible seasons that included a Saquon Barkley fiasco, a Daniel Jones implosion, a 9-25 record, nearly losing their jobs and having co-owner John Mara sound lukewarm about his decision to keep them, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll needed to do something big this offseason.

They managed just that in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Giants hit a home run, pulling off the double dip of getting a game-changing defender at No. 3 in Abdul Carter considered to be one of the two best prospects in the draft class, then sliding back into Round 1 to get the potential franchise quarterback of the future they have been trying to put in place for at least the last two offseasons by selecting Jaxson Dart at No. 25.

That crazy, strange feeling you may be experiencing as a Giants fan? One that you may not have felt for a while and may only have distant memories of?

That’s called hope.

After two seasons of being laughed at for the product they have put on the field and for the way they ended up looking during their ill-conceived appearance last offseason on ‘Hard Knocks’, the Giants needed to change the narrative that they were a bumbling, lost franchise with a GM and head coach who were dead men walking.

Mission accomplished.

In Carter, they got a player respected college football analyst Joel Klatt says “could have an even bigger impact than Micah Parsons in the National Football League.”

Parsons, also from Penn State has 52.5 sacks in four seasons and has made the Pro Bowl each year.

Carter joins Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns and a handful of capable veterans in a suddenly imposing-looking defensive front seven for the Giants. Combine that with a secondary revamped in free agency with the additions of cornerback Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland and it seems clear the improvements on defense Mara insisted on in January have been made.

Mara also made clear in January that “the number one issue for us going into this offseason, is to find our quarterback of the future.”

Pulling off the feat of improving the team for 2025 AND finding a potential franchise quarterback of the future seemed a tall task for Schoen in a year where the pickings were considered slim in the draft.

Schoen tried to get Matthew Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams. He flirted with Aaron Rodgers in free agency. He signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to — hopefully — improve the team in 2025 and to hold the seat warm for a quarterback of the future. He offered a pair of first-round picks to the Tennessee Titans to move to No. 1 and select Cam Ward.

None of that brought Schoen the quarterback of the future that the Giants’ franchise needed, and that Schoen and Daboll needed to help convince ownership that they have Giants on the right path.

There were rumors that the New Orleans Saints liked Dart, and might even take him at No. 9. That didn’t happen.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers passed on Dart and Shedeur Sanders at No. 21, Schoen began to fervently press the remaining teams with selections in Round 1 to find a trade partner.

“We started after Pittsburgh,” Schoen said. “Maybe in the 22, 23 range we started to look to move up. A lot of teams just decided to stay and pick, so again, you try to do deals, you try to move up, and if teams want to stay and pick, there’s just not much you can do there. We kept chipping away, and a lot of good relationships with general managers around the league, so easy conversations. The teams that weren’t going to move back were up front and pretty straightforward right off the bat, so that allowed us to get ahead of the next team and start working through potential trades.”

Give Schoen, much-maligned for his handling some of the high profile decisions of the past couple of offseasons, credit for reading the quarterback tea leaves correctly.

“That’s the hard part,” Schoen said. “There’s 31 other teams, and sometimes we assume everybody sees things the way we do. That’s not always the case, so again, you take the information you have, you try to gather as much as you can throughout the day, and sometimes you get a feel for what teams are doing and sometimes you have no idea.

“Hats off to my staff. They do a great job of making these calls around the league, and the pro scouting staff puts together needs, so we have kind of the top priorities that the teams need, so you go off that. Hey, do we need to move up here, no, not really, they’re probably going to go this position or whatever it may be. Very professional in the room, very detailed. It was a collaborative effort amongst the group to be able to execute the way we did.”

Of course, all of the excitement of what the Giants accomplished on Thursday night will die on the vine if it doesn’t work on the field.

If Wilson and Winston can’t carry the Giants to a decent season while Dart learns the NFL ropes. If Carter, who Schoen called “a special talent”, and his pals don’t defend the way it looks on paper like they might be able to.

Mostly, though, it will die if Dart doesn’t become the quarterback the Giants need. That, of course, is anything but a guarantee.

After years of work on quarterbacks over the last four draft classes, particularly the last two, Schoen and Daboll finally decided Dart was the guy they wanted to go forward with. That, by the way, is a decision they said wasn’t finalized until some time on Monday.

Schoen said it was “gratifying” to finally have their guy after the years of work.

“It’s been exhausting, to be honest with you,” Schoen said. “We’ve been, whether it’s here all week and then you go on the road in the fall or all the way up to Easter weekend, we’re still on the road. Credit to the coaches, my staff, the film they watch, the area scouts putting us in the correct direction on the quarterbacks to go see.

“I’m glad we were able to get a guy that we’re convicted on and we like. So yeah, it’s gratifying. I’ll probably on the ride home be able to decompress, but it was pretty stressful up there the last 15, 20 minutes trying to get this done.”

Why Dart? Why this quarterback? It has to be more than the fact that he shares an alma mater and a connection with Eli Manning. right?

“I think he’s got a lot of qualities you look for in a good quarterback,” Daboll said. “He’s tough, makes good decisions with the football, pushes the ball down the field, has athletic ability, played in a really tough conference, started there at USC as a young guy. But did a really good job throughout this process of our meetings, board work, workouts and the tape that we liked.

“I like the way he plays. I like his competitive fire. I like his accuracy. I like his ability, again, to push the ball down the field. His athletic ability to run with the football. I think this guy has gotten better every year he’s played. He’s a leader. He was smart. He has the attributes that we were looking for. Excited to have him. Look forward to getting him in the room. He’s got a lot to learn.”

More ‘things I think’​

  • It is pretty amazing that Sanders is still on the board entering Day 2 of the draft. It was pretty hilarious watching ESPN’s Mel Kiper seem to get angrier and angrier about that as the night went along.
  • I was happy to see that the Giants are picking up Kayvon Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, making it unlikely that Thibodeaux will be traded. GM Joe Schoen, in fact, said “Kayvon’s going to be here.”
  • Dart is not a milquetoast Daniel Jones clone. Asked during a hastily-arranged conference if he thought his personality fit New York he practically screamed “NO DOUBT” into the phone.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...ork-giants-hit-the-draft-home-run-they-needed
 
Film breakdown: How high is Abdul Carter’s ceiling?

Ohio State v Penn State

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Let’s look at the potential of the former Penn State edge defender

The New York Giants now arguably have the best pass rush in the NFL with the addition of Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter, who GM Joe Schoen and company selected with the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Carter joins Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence up front.

Carter played just one season as an edge defender for the Nittany Lions, and he recorded 12 sacks, 66 pressures, and 24 tackles for a loss while being the center of attention in Tom Allen’s defense. Carter was used all over the defensive front. Not only will he add to the overall talent of Shane Bowen’s defense, but his versatility will allow Bowen to dive deep into his bag of tricks with twists/stunts and simulated pressure packages.

Here is my evaluation on Abdul Carter:

Strengths

  • Chiseled elite athlete with rare suddenness and explosiveness
  • Rare agility and change of direction – gets very low into his rush
  • Insane acceleration – smooth!
  • Avoids contact well – is like NEO from the Matrix when rushing
  • Urgent, Urgent, Urgent mover
  • Amazing bend/control to contort his body while cornering up the arc
  • Quick feet set OL up for failure – understands how to set OL up
  • Can get very low with his rush – knee scraping the deck as he orients his hips into the pocket
  • Rare ability to flatten at the top of the arc
  • Does an excellent job absorbing contact up the arc
  • Elite inside spin move assists his incredible burst up the arc – keeps OT honest
  • Very good hand usage to keep distance and separate from OL
  • Feet and hands work well together when rushing passer
  • Beautiful dip/rip combination to win the edge with elite speed
  • Flashed a variety of pass rushing moves
  • Good overall play strength with excellent closing burst into contact
  • Flashed power rush moves
  • Insanely smart and natural pass rusher
  • Understands how to angle his body and avoid contact while rushing
  • Only played one true year at edge – upside is through the roof
  • Can play all over the defensive front – was a very good LB in 2022/2023
  • Solid overall run defender who still has room to improve (as LB/EDGE)
  • Quick backside pursuit – immediate read defender
  • Crashes the backside with authority – dangerous unblocked player
  • Very aggressive style of play – good force into contact
  • Solid coverage player with plenty of movement skills/fluidity to operate zone drops
  • Controlled enough to handle man responsibilities if asked
  • Very versatile player who can handle several aspects of front seven play
  • Has room to grow into his frame
  • Just turned 21 years old

Weaknesses

  • Seems smaller than his listed size (some speculate he’s sub-235)
  • Not the longest edge
  • Still a little raw as an edgerusher
  • Can run himself out of fit, trying to win up the arc
  • Has good overall play strength but it can be thwarted by long/strong and technically sound offensive tackles
  • Misses a lot of tackles – 19.1% missed tackle rate in college
  • 2023 tape showed mistakes at LB – is not a technically sound run defender at the edge or LB
  • Could work on tackling fundamentals to become more secure
  • Not a bad run defender but is clearly more of a pass rusher
  • Needs more time learning how to anchor vs. the run/recognize rushing schemes
  • Deconstructing blocks once engaged in base situations needs to improve vs. the run
  • Relies heavily on impressive movement skills to avoid lock up with OTs vs. the run
  • Was charged with a misdemeanor for assaulting a tow truck driver in 2024

There are few players in recent NFL drafts who have the type of pass rushing upside as Abdul Carter, which is one of the many reasons why he’s compared to Micah Parsons, among the obvious ones. Carter is an insanely sudden and quick athlete with a NEO like ability to avoid contact and contort his body around the punches of offensive tackles. Carter keeps forward momentum with elite control while exploding up the rushing arc. Few players win high side like Carter, and even fewer use their feet/hands so well together.

He gets his hips oriented into the pocket so fast and gets so low to avoid contact; when he is contacted, he does a good job staying balanced or angling his body to mitigate the strength of the contact. Carter is DANGEROUS in a phone booth, with a sensational inside spin move and rare speed to win through either shoulder. He also flashes power rush moves, albeit he’s more finesse right now. BUT his finesse is so fantastic, that offensive lineman are more susceptible to the power he does possess, for their ability to frame and engage Carter are hindered by his raw talent.

Carter will be selected as an edge to rush the passer and use his elite physical traits. He does offer value as a linebacker for a creative defensive coordinator; his best utilization as a LB is stacked, allowing him to scrape/flow to the football relatively unscathed. His eyes/ability to trigger are accentuated by his elite burst, albeit he’s still wild and did misjudge his path into the backfield as a LB prior to 2024.

I don’t want to say Carter is fool-proof, even though I love his tape and ability. There’s a non-zero chance that Carter may be targeted on early downs and could be exposed against better – more physical – teams in the trenches. On the flip side, he has room to grow into his body, he’s insanely athletic, and he only has one year as an EDGE. Sure, a defensive coordinator may have to get creative if Carter struggles to consistently defend the run, but his run defense ability in college doesn’t suggest a liability, just not a certainty; and his pass rushing skills are through the roof. It’s something to acknowledge, but not a deal breaker by any means.

If Carter works on his block shedding ability and his eyes to perceive the offensive intentions, along with adding some strength, he will be a massive asset as a run defender; and these are achievable feats considering the traits Carter possesses. There aren’t many players in consideration for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Carter is one of them and it’s easy to see why.

Please enjoy the video below. Like, comment, and subscribe to the channel, and leave your comments as well on Big Blue View.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/25/24416425/abdul-carter-film-study-new-york-giants-nfl-draft
 
Can you guess this former UDFA in today’s in-5 trivia game?

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Think you can figure out which Giants player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Big Blue View in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in the Google Form.

Today’s Big Blue View in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Friday, April 25, 2025
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
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Big Blue View in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Giants player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/26/24417527/sb-nation-giants-daily-trivia-in-5
 
NFL Draft: 2025 New York Giants UDFA tracker

NFL: DEC 22 Giants at Falcons

Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Which undrafted free agents will become Giants?

And just like that, the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. The work, however, is far from over for the New York Giants coaches, scouts, and front office executives.

The Giants’ staff have been working the phones since before the draft itself ended. Coaches and scouts are hard at work, relying on the relationships they’ve built throughout the draft process to recruit priority free agents.

Unlike late-round draftees, UDFAs get to choose the team with whom they sign. So while they often have to claw their way onto the roster, UDFA’s can at least attempt to find favorable situations.

The Giants have a strong track record in undrafted free agency, recently as Elijah Chatman last year. This is an opportunity for teams to find players who slipped through the cracks yet offer skills and upside.

We’ll keep this updated with reports as we get them. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that the names linked to teams are fluid immediately after the draft.

UDFA Tracker​


Rumored Giants’ UDFA signings

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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/26/24417702/nfl-draft-2025-new-york-giants-udfa-tracker
 
Darius Alexander’s unique journey lands him with the New York Giants

NFL: Scouting Combine

Darius Alexander | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

New York Giants third-round pick Darius Alexander has undoubtedly had a different path to the NFL than many players.

He spent six years at Toledo, an FBS school. He played defense, then offense, then finally switched back to the defensive line. He has a 6-year-old son he is raising.

There are likely few players in the 2025 draft class who had to balance daily child-raising responsibilities with going to class and playing Division I college football.

“That experience right there [being a dad], I wouldn’t change that for the world. That means everything to me,” Alexander said. “Just to watch him love the game like I did when I was his age, and for him to be around it for a very long time, day in and day out, watching how hard I work, to wake up early in the morning with me and go to sleep late at night with me, it’s been wonderful. I’d bring him and do it all over again if I could. It’s a joy watching him do what he loves to do, as he watches me do what I love to do, so I get enjoyment out of it for sure.”

Alexander brought his son, Messiah, to New Jersey with him after being selected by the Giants.

“I’d say his favorite part is probably getting on a plane,” Alexander said. “First time he’s ever been on a plane, so he was scared at first, but he actually ended up liking it. He’s doing pretty well right now.”

The 6-foot-3⅞, 305-pound Alexander had plenty of opportunities to leave Toledo and play for a bigger, more prestigious program. He declined.

“I definitely had a lot of teams trying to come and get me, but it was a loyalty thing for me. [Toledo head] Coach [Jason] Candle was my first offer out of high school coming out, and then for him to stay with me throughout the whole process when things weren’t going my way in high school and signing me on national signing day was a blessing for me.

“My last six years there, it means everything to me, everything in the world to me. I’d never trade it for anything in the world. I got to spend a great time with my players and my teammates and my brothers, and I made great bonds out there, and then to Coach Candle, I thank him for everything. He gave me a chance, and I appreciate that a lot.”

Alexander also praised Toledo defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, who has been the team’s defensive coordinator since 2020.

“Coach Vince Kehres, a defensive coordinator that I had there my whole career since I’ve been there. Just to play under that guy, high-energy guy, high-savage guy,” Alexander said. “I just love how he approaches the game, how he coaches the game, how he teaches it. He helped me a long way.”

Alexander said it was Kehres who insisted that Alexander, floundering on the offensive line, needed to be a defensive player.

“So the way I got back to defense, Coach Vince Kehres came in from Mount Union. He seen my tape from that summer before and he went to Coach Candle and said ‘yeah, I need this guy,’” Alexander said. “He said, ‘I don’t know what we’re doing with him on offense’ [and] he said, ‘I need him over here on defense.’ That’s how I got back on defense, so I appreciate Coach Kehres a lot.”

Alexander had a ‘30 visit’ with the Giants.

“The meeting with Coach Dre [defensive line coach Andre Patterson] and Coach Cox ]assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox] was wonderful,” Alexander said. “I got to go in there and talk to them guys about ball and everything and just what I could do better as a player, and then after the meeting Coach Dre told me, ‘hey, if you’re still on that board and I can get my hands on you, I’m coming to get you’ and he came and got me, so I’m excited.”
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...-lands-him-with-the-new-york-giants-nfl-draft
 
Giants news, 4/28: Jaxson Dart’s role, Abdul Carter’s number, more

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New York Giants headlines for Monday

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

From Big Blue View​

More headlines​


Taylor declines Carter's request to wear 56, rooting for new Giant - ESPN
Lawrence Taylor wants newly drafted Giants pass rusher Abdul Carter to create his own legacy, one that won't include wearing the No. 56 that Taylor made famous during his legendary career.

9 biggest overreactions to 2025 NFL Draft: Shedeur Sanders got burned, Saints were right, Steelers were wrong, & more | Sporting News

The Giants need to open up the competition and let Dart push to beat both veterans. Dart has the dynamic athletic running elements Winston has never had, and he has the cannon arm that Wilson doesn't have in the same way anymore. He also would be more willing than both QBs to settle throwing short-to-intermediate routes and checkdowns instead of just trying to throw deep to Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton. Dart's skillset is a better fit for Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka's offense right away than either Winston's or Wilson's. No one should be surprised if does what Manning didn't and starts in Week 1.
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These Giants veterans face most pressure after 2025 NFL Draft - nj.com
The Giants made some intriguing draft picks this year.

BBV mailbag​


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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...8-jaxson-darts-role-abdul-carters-number-more
 
Fantasy Football ‘25: 10 takeaways from the NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft - Round 1

Jeanty is the clear #1 Rookie for Fantasy | Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Quick takes for Fantasy from a chaotic Draft weekend

The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. Unless you were hiding under a rock, you know that the biggest story of the weekend was Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders sliding all the way to the fifth round, where the Browns mercifully ended his free fall and made him their second quarterback selection of the weekend.

I don’t have too much to say on the Sanders situation, other than this: I don’t need to hear Mel Kiper, Jr.’s voice again anytime soon. Hopefully, he’s been given a few fresh bottles of oxygen and a horse tranquilizer, and is recovering comfortably at home.

I’ll do some in-depth fantasy football rookie analysis in future columns. For today, I’ve got ten quick fantasy takeaways from what went down over the weekend in Green Bay. These takes are mostly meant for season-long fantasy, but some are relevant for Dynasty leagues, which are now in rookie draft season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 30 NC State at North Carolina
Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Jim Harbaugh gets his bell-cow in Hampton

1. Let’s stay put, and start in Green Bay. For the second straight year, the Packers are going to have the hardest group of pass-catchers to evaluate for fantasy. They took a receiver in Round 1 for the first time in more than 20 years (Aaron Rodgers, eat your heart out), and speedster Matthew Golden from Texas joins a deep group that already includes wide receivers Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Mecole Hardman, and Christian Watson (who suffered a torn ACL late in the 2024 season) plus tight ends Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. Is there a WR1 here? Doubtful, and draft accordingly.

2. Green Bay has some competition though, including their long-time rivals the Bears, who bring back D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and TE Cole Kmet, and add in two early draft picks in TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden, III, whose draft comp for many analysts was…wait for it…D.J. Moore! All of this quality depth is great news for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, but the biggest draft-weekend winner on the Bears may have been D’Andre Swift, as the club didn’t take a running back until Round 7. Ben Johnson’s group should be a lot more fun for fantasy in 2025, and while Chicago could still add a running back to the mix, Swift currently profiles as an RB2 with upside.

3. Staying on the same theme, the Texans have Nico Collins as their clear WR1, and then it’s anyone’s guess. There are at least half a dozen guys who could emerge as viable receiving weapons. Christian Kirk, Tank Dell (if he is able to play this year), rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel (both from Iowa State), plus John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson and newcomers Braxton Berrios and Justin Watson are all in the mix. Looking for dart throws? Right now I’d put Higgins at the top of the list, but after Collins and maybe tight end Dalton Schultz (given the position he plays), it might be hard to count on anyone for consistent fantasy contributions.

4. Speaking of overflows at wide receiver, the Bucs are another team that used an early pick to add to an already strong group. First-round selection Emeka Egbuka is Ohio State’s all-time leading receiver and he joins a wide receiver corps that includes future hall-of famer Mike Evans, Chris Godwin (returning from an ankle injury), and Jalen McMillan, who came on late last season. They also have depth pieces Trey Palmer and Sterling Shepard. I like Egbuka long-term and especially with Evans and Godwin being older players, but I wouldn’t expect WR2 or even Flex numbers from him this season.

5. The Najee Harris hype didn’t last very long. The Chargers used the 22nd overall pick on North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton, a bruising runner with plenty of speed who profiles as a three-down back. While that won’t happen immediately, and Harris will certainly get plenty of usage, Hampton is the Chargers back I want for this season. On the flip side, a couple of backs who should benefit from their teams not adding rookie backs to the mix until very late on Day 3 are Chase Brown (CIN) and Isiah Pacheco (KC).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 28 Pop-Tarts Bowl - Iowa State vs Miami
Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Can #1 overall pick Cam Ward jump-start the Titans?

6. Ashton Jeanty was going to be a first- or second-round pick in fantasy for the 2025 season almost anywhere he could have realistically landed, but the Raiders are an especially attractive spot for him. Zamir White? Sincere McCormick? Dylan Laube? Raheem Mostert? Come on…Jeanty is going to be the main man in what should be a vastly improved offense with Geno Smith under center and Chip Kelly calling plays. Jeanty could end up with an Average Draft Position (ADP) around the 1-2 turn, or even solidly in Round 1.

7. I’m not even remotely interested in any of the rookie quarterbacks this year, in 1-QB leagues. Cam Ward is the only one with a fairly clear path to starting, and I’d only consider him towards the back end of the QB2 tier in a Superflex format. This class should not be confused with last year’s outlier class of productive rookie QBs.

8. This was a deep and talented running back class, and while we may not get another Bucky Irving-type breakout from a Day 3 pick, there are rookie RBs beyond Jeanty and Hampton who are going to be valuable fantasy assets this season. Each of these RBs will have a good chance to see meaningful snaps and opportunities (and as of now I like them in this order for this season): R.J. Harvey (DEN), Quinshon Judkins (CLE), TreVeyon Henderson (NE), Kaleb Johnson (PIT), and Cam Skattebo (NYG). Change-of pace speedster Jaydon Blue (DAL) is a player to watch as a sleeper.

9. The Browns’ quarterback room is a laugh riot right now (DeShaun Watson, who will probably miss this season as he recovers from his second achilles injury, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders), and unless Flacco is the starter for most of the season, I don’t think the situation bodes well for Jerry Jeudy, David Njoku, and Cedric Tillman, although they could be values if they fall far in drafts.

10. I’m not expecting all that much production from either No. 8 overall pick Tet McMillan (CAR) or second rounder Tre Harris (LAC) in year one. I like both long-term, though. In fact, I don’t love any of the rookie wide receivers for fantasy this season, unless Travis Hunter (JAC) is going to be playing WR almost full-time. Much like the quarterbacks, this year’s mediocre WR class should not be confused with last year’s stellar class.

Oklahoma State v Colorado
Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images
Travis Hunter: NFL Unicorn.

Before I go, here’s a bonus takeaway for today: I think TEs Mason Taylor (NYJ) and Elijah Arroyo (SEA) both have sleeper appeal this season, and will likely be essentially free in drafts. More on that in a future column.

That’s it for today. I need to go check in on Mel.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/28/24418838/fantasy-football-25-10-takeaways-from-the-nfl-draft
 
After a long journey, New York Giants defensive tackle Darius Alexander is all grown up

2025 NFL Scouting Combine

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Fatherhood, and a winding journey to the defensive line, have shaped the Giants’ third-round pick

Becoming a parent as a teenager, when you are still a child and haven’t yet found your path in life, is an unexpected and scary experience.

Sometimes, though, the things we think are scary and might derail us turn out to be the things that bring us joy and drive us to be better.

That has certainly been the case for Darius Alexander, the Toledo defensive tackle drafted in the third round (No. 65 overall) by the New York Giants over the weekend.

Alexander, now 24, is raising a 6-year-old son named Messiah.

“That experience right there, I wouldn’t change that for the world. That means everything to me,” Alexander said after being selected by the Giants. “Just to watch him love the game like I did when I was his age, and for him to be around it for a very long time, day in and day out, watching how hard I work, to wake up early in the morning with me and go to sleep late at night with me, it’s been wonderful. It’s a joy watching him do what he loves to do, as he watches me do what I love to do, so I get enjoyment out of it for sure.”

Those who have coached him on his journey to the NFL believe the experience of fatherhood helped turn him into the player and person he is.

“Him having a son, I think that really efforts maturation,’ said Ben Johnson, Alexander’s head coach at Fort Wayne High School. “And then him facing some adversity when he got to Toledo.

“When he first got there they transitioned him to o-line. It was pretty much like, hey if you want to play D-line, this is where you need to get your body. This is the work ethic we need to see. This is what we’re looking for. Instead of complaining and hitting the transfer portal, he stayed and did what the coaches asked him to do.

“Him staying focused and doing what the coaches asked him to do, and just believing in himself, he was able to transition to the D-line and be there full time. Now he’s a New York Giant.”

Vince Kehres arrived at Toledo as defensive coordinator in 2020 after Alexander had spent his redshirt year as an offensive lineman. It was Kehres who went to head coach Jason Candle and asked for Alexander to be moved to the defensive line.

“I think in his mind when he was coming out of high school, he was more of a d-lineman or, he’d say an athlete. Heck, he wanted to touch the ball. So he just didn’t picture himself as an o-lineman,” Kehres said.

“I don’t think he fully embraced the vision of what he could be as an offensive tackle, like what maybe the coaches would. He envisioned himself as something else.”

In high school, when Alexander was still around 240 pounds, he even played some tight end.

When Kehres arrived at Toledo Alexander was 340 pounds — not nearly in good enough physical condition to chase down quarterbacks and running backs from the defensive line.

Kehres said Alexander “embraced that” when Kehres told him he would need to lose weight and improve his conditioning to play defense because “he wanted to be a d-lineman.”

“Picture a 340-pound guy who’s 18, 19 years old, whatever he is, to now a 24-year-old man who’s 305 pounds,” Kehres said of Alexander’s transformation. “He transitioned the distribution of his body weight. There’s not nearly as much around the belly as there used to be. That’s redistributed into the legs and up into the back and shoulders.”

What Alexander has turned into is a player with terrific athletic gifts for the defensive tackle spot.

Kehres said he watched Alexander grow up during his five years with him at Toledo.

“He’s really matured. I think as a young player he was a little bit immature, he needed a little bit of prodding, he needed [to be] motivated a little bit to get going,” Kehres said. “Over the last couple of years, he’s really matured. I think part of that is the experience of being a father and the responsibility that comes with that.

“And the fact that [he was] starting to see the light at the tunnel of what he could do, what opportunities that football might be able to provide for him. His daily attitude towards life, maybe a little bit more of a pessimistic attitude as a young guy, maybe a little bit lazy at times to much more of a positive attitude, smile on my face. A guy who understands that everybody’s looking at you, how you carry yourself is going to be really, really important. Not only from the guys in the room with you and what they think about you or NFL personnel, what they see, to your own son and how your own son’s looking at you.”

Alexander was dominant his final two seasons at Toledo with 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and eight passes defensed.

Kehres’ favorite play during Alexander’s Toledo career came in 2024 when he put his athleticism and one-time tight end skills to use by dropping into coverage, leaping to pick off a pass and returning it 58 yards for a touchdown against Pitt.

It is the second play on the highlight reel below. The first is an Alexander sack.

“Sometimes those plays happen and the game may already be well decided one way or another,” Kehres said. “There were eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. And we were down by 10. So we were kind of on our last leg where, man, they get a couple more first downs we’re going to have a hard time getting the ball back enough to get 10 points, especially if they go down and get points on the board.

“That was a big play because now it goes from Pitt’s driving and using a lot of clock and running it down to, now it’s 30 to 27 with still eight, nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. So that was a significant play.”

Kehres wasn’t shocked by the play because he had seen Alexander make a similar one in practice.

“He’s way more athletic than what you would expect somebody who weighs 300 pounds plus to be,” Kehres said. “You just don’t expect somebody at that size to be able to be that explosive.”

Kahres believes a good NFL locker room with the right leaders could bring even more out of Alexander.

“I think his best football is still in front of him,” Kehres said. “Coach Candle and I talked about this a little bit, not necessarily an NFL locker room, but the right NFL locker room, I think is important because he’ll kind of follow the lead of some veteran players. If those veteran players are really pushing him, challenging him to look at new techniques and to really study video tape, to be a professional, he’ll feed off that and he’ll benefit from that.”
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...nsive-tackle-darius-alexander-is-all-grown-up
 
Eli Manning pursuing minority ownership stake in New York Giants

NFL Pro Bowl Games

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

After playing 16 seasons for the New York Giants, former quarterback Eli Manning is reportedly interested in becoming a minority owner of the team.

Following in the footsteps of Tom Brady and Richard Seymour, two former players who recently became minority owners of the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants legend and quarterback Eli Manning is reportedly in the midst of putting together a bid to buy a minority stake in the team in played 16 years for.

This past February, the Giants announced the Mara and Tisch families (the former of which has owned the team since 1925) had retained investment bank Moelis & Co. in hopes of exploring a minority, non-controlling stake in the franchise. The month prior, Manning said he would like to buy a stake in the Giants in that opportunity ever arose.

Per Bloomberg, Manning has spoken to a handful of individual investors, including some retired players.

Manning, of course, spent 16 seasons with the Giants, leading them to two Super Bowl wins over the New England Patriots.

Reportedly, up to 10 percent of the Giants is currently for sale and the team has been deemed worth upwards of $8 billion, per sports-team investors and advisers. Thus far, any and all negotiations are still ongoing and no final decisions have been made.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/29/24420363/new-york-giants-eli-manning-ownership-stake
 
PFN says New York Giants should sign this veteran guard

Jacksonville Jaguars v Las Vegas Raiders

Brandon Scherff | Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

This is a player somebody at BBV pounded the table for ... a decade ago

With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror it is time for the New York Giants and the 31 other teams to assess what they have done this offseason, what they have not done, and see if there are any veteran free agents remaining on the market who might fill a hole.

Pro Football Network offers an intriguing possibility for the Giants. PFN believes the Giants should sign veteran guard Brandon Scherff. Here’s why:

The New York Giants entered the draft with one of the NFL’s weakest offensive lines. The Giants ranked 27th in PFSN’s OL+ metric last year and didn’t make major free agent additions beyond swing tackles James Hudson and Stone Forsythe.

After drafting just a single offensive lineman — Purdue guard Marcus Mbow in the fifth round — the Giants also exited the draft with one of the worst lines. Apart from left tackle Andrew Thomas and center John Michael Schmitz Jr., the Giants could reasonably look for an upgrade at the other three spots.

Of course, late free agency doesn’t bring many quality starting options. Scherff might be an exception to that rule, though he’s 33 and last made the Pro Bowl in 2021. Still, he didn’t allow a single sack in 592 pass-blocking snaps this season.

Among guards, only Trey Smith of the Chiefs (665) had more pass-blocking snaps without allowing a sack. The Giants could use that level of reliability, as Greg Van Roten is the team’s current projected starting right guard.
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Valentine’s View​


I understand what the season-ending numbers say, but I disagree that the Giants have “one of the NFL’s weakest offensive lines.” It isn’t great, but I don’t believe it is nearly as bad as many want to portray it.

The Giants’ line was league-average a year ago during the six games star left tackle Andrew Thomas played, and those six games were not up to Thomas’s usual standards.

When Thomas was lost for the season, Pro Football Focus had the Giants No. 18 in its offensive line rankings — right in the middle of the pack.

The Giants gave up 14 sacks in the first six games (2.3 per game), and 34 in the final 11 (3.09 per game) without Thomas.

Still, I love the idea of signing Scherff, a five-time Pro Bowl right guard.

Why? Bottom line, he is a better player than Greg Van Roten. Van Roten is a comfortable fit for the Giants because he was with the team last season, he has played next to Jermaine Eluemunor for several years between time with the Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, and he seems to be a favorite of offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. He can also fill in at center.

Still, the 35-year-old Van Roten gave up seven sacks and 35 pressures in 727 pass-blocking snaps a season ago. He has given up 12 sacks and 56 pressures over the last two seasons.

Scherff gave up just 17 pressures and no sacks in 2024. He surrendered just two sacks in more than 700 pass-blocking snaps in 2023.

Scherff isn’t the run blocker he used to be, but overall this would be an upgrade.

Besides, Scherff landing with the Giants would be a full circle moment for Big Blue View. Those of you who are long-time BBV readers might remember that I banged the drum incessantly for the Giants to draft Scherff in 2015, and mocked him to the Giants right before the 2015 draft.

Washington wrecked my plan by selecting him at No. 5 overall, with the Giants selecting Ereck Flowers No. 10. Somehow, I think Scherff would have been a better pick.

PFN’s idea would finally grant me my wish.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...veteran-guard-brandon-scherff-nfl-free-agency
 
Giants UDFAs: Get to know O’Donnell Fortune, CB, South Carolina

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 30 East-West Shrine Bowl

Photo by Steve Nurenberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Can Fortune add to the Giants’ depth in the secondary?

The New York Giants didn’t bring in many defenders when they made contract offers to undrafted free agents.

Just five of their (unofficial) 13 UDFA signings were on the defensive side of the ball. That would seemingly give their defensive UDFAs to have a better chance of making the 53-man roster, or at least the practice squad. Unfortunately, most of the Giants’ high-profile additions in free agency and the draft were defenders.

Cornerback O’Donnell Fortune is a fifth-year senior who played 33 games for South Carolina over the last three years. He’s matched up against some of the best receivers in the SEC over that time, and was the defensive MVP at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl thanks to a 65-yard pick-six.

Does he have what it takes to make the Giants’ roster?

What does he bring?​


Instincts and processing are Fortune’s calling cards on the field. He isn’t a particularly good athlete (more on that in a bit), but he sees the field well and processes quickly. Fortune had nine passes defensed, five interceptions, and a forced fumble over the last two years at South Carolina, and he shows good awareness on tape. He’s quick to transition between cover corner and run defender, and likewise has a very quick trigger when playing downhill from deeper coverage zones.

And while he doesn’t test out as quick or explosive, he is a fluid and efficient mover on the field.

His processing and fluidity allow him to play faster than he tests, and Fortune did not test well at all as an athlete. He has solid length and initial burst, but everything else is poor.



Fortune doesn’t have the athletic ability to really stick with players in man coverage, run with them down the field, or recover if initially beaten.

That said, his size, processing, burst, and hair trigger playing downhill could make him an intriguing candidate for a move to free safety. It could also give him more of an opportunity to make the kind of splash plays that can help to earn him a roster spot.

That may also be a better opportunity for him than cornerback overall. While the Giants upgraded their starting defense with Javon Holland, their depth at safety is suspect beyond Dane Belton.

Can he stick?​


The big question with Fortune is his athleticism.

His athletic profile is probably closest to that of a strong safety, however he’s far smaller than most strong safeties at 185 pounds. So it might be best to consider him a “defensive back” until we see how he’s deployed in camp.

From that perspective, Fortune is likely in competition with players like fellow rookie Korie Black, or veterans like Tre Hawkins III, Greg Stroman Jr., Art Green, or Raheem Layne for a spot on the depth chart.

Special teams play will be crucial to determining whether Fortune can stick on the roster, and a spot on the practice squad is certainly possible.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/...et-to-know-odonnell-fortune-cb-south-carolina
 
Giants still hovering near bottom in post-draft NFL power rankings

NFL: New York Giants-Press Conference

Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

New talent brings hope, but expectations remain low for Giants in 2025

Despite adding a potential franchise quarterback and bolstering their defense in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants continue to rank near the bottom in post-draft power rankings. National outlets remain skeptical about the team’s immediate outlook, though some analysts see glimmers of hope for the future.

Here’s where the Giants land and what analysts are saying:

FOX Sports – 28th

FOX gave the Giants credit for not panicking under pressure, calling the decision to take linebacker Abdul Carter “a no-brainer” and praising the front office for not reaching on a quarterback. The Giants moved up three spots from their previous ranking but remain in the bottom five.

USA Today – 28th (up from 32nd)

USA Today believes this draft will ultimately be judged by how quarterback Jaxson Dart performs in the long run. Though he’s not expected to start right away, Dart could be the key to unlocking the team’s future. But with the NFL’s toughest 2025 schedule, improvement might not show up in the win column.

The Athletic – 31st

The Athletic focused on Abdul Carter’s potential and the uncertainty surrounding Dart, who will learn behind veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. The pick of running back Cam Skattebo was also flagged as one that could quickly win over fans.

Sports Illustrated – 27th (up from 28th)

Sports Illustrated called the Carter pick imaginative and praised the Giants’ shift toward a no-frills, aggressive identity under head coach Brian Daboll. But it also stressed that the team needs to turn that energy into tangible results.

Sharp Football Analysis – 28th

Sharp Football also placed the Giants at 28th, pointing out that while the team drafted well on paper, quarterback uncertainty and a brutal schedule still make them a longshot to climb the standings this season.

Bleacher Report – 30th

Bleacher Report highlighted the pressure on both Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen, calling theirs the “hottest seat of any regime in the league.” While Russell Wilson is the starter for now, all eyes are on Dart, who was aggressively targeted in the first round. Analyst Gary Davenport wrote, “New York should be respectable this year, and Dart gives it hope for the future. We’ll have to wait and see if those two things are enough for Daboll and Schoen to return in 2026.”

NFL.com – 30th

NFL.com saw promise in the draft class, particularly in Carter and mid-round picks like Cam Skattebo and Marcus Mbow. The team’s future hinges on whether Dart can evolve into a quality NFL quarterback but the outlet wondered aloud if the Giants would eventually regret not waiting for the 2026 quarterback class. Still, there’s “an undercurrent of excitement” about what this young group might become.

Bottom line​


The Giants may have taken a step in the right direction, but the national consensus is clear: they still have a long way to go. With a veteran quarterback at the helm and a rookie waiting in the wings, 2025 could be a transitional year and one that determines not only the fate of the season, but the futures of Daboll and Schoen as well.

What do you think? Are the Giants underrated or right where they belong?
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/...-near-bottom-in-post-draft-nfl-power-rankings
 
New York Giants had the best 2025 NFL Draft — survey

NFL: New York Giants-Press Conference

Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

Voters impressed by what the Giants accomplished

The New York Giants had, by far, the best 2025 NFL Draft class, according to voters in this week’s SB Nation ‘NFL Reacts’ national survey.

Thirty-one percent of the voters in our poll said the Giants, with a class that included edge defender Abdul Carter, quarterback Jaxson Dart, defensive tackle Darius Alexander and running back Cam Skattebo ranked the Giants No. 1.



GM Joe Schoen was under pressure to improve the talent on a team that went 3-14 in 2024, and to find a potential quarterback of the future. He accomplished both.

SB Nation voters also believe that Schoen brought the best player in the draft to New York. Carter, with 40% of the voted edged Travis Hunter (38%) when voters were asked which of the top five players selected would be the biggest star.



Of the next five quarterbacks selected after Cam Ward went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, SB Nation voters also expect Dart to have the best rookie season.



Are you buying the conclusions of our voters, Giants fans?
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/2/24422587/new-york-giants-had-the-best-2025-nfl-draft-survey
 
New York Giants parting ways with national scout

2025 NFL Draft - Previews

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Move is a surprise to at least one league insider

The New York Giants have parted ways with national scout Mike Derice, who had been with the team since 2022.

Neil Stratton of InsidetheLeague.com called the move “a major surprise” and added that Derice, who is “highly-regarded around the league”, should find a new opportunity this offseason.

Before joining the Colts, Derice played and then worked at Stony Brook.

Before joining the Giants in Joe Schoen’s first season as GM, Derice spent 10 years as a scout with the Indianapolis Colts.

This post-NFL Draft period is the time of year when scouting staffs and front offices across the league generally undergo shakeups. For scouts it is the slowest time of the year, thus the best time for teams to make changes.

Derice was part of Schoen’s orginaly shakeup of the Giants’ front office and scouting department.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/...-parting-ways-with-national-scout-mike-derice
 
NFL Draft: 2025 New York Giants UDFA tracker

NFL: DEC 22 Giants at Falcons

Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Which undrafted free agents will become Giants?

And just like that, the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. The work, however, is far from over for the New York Giants coaches, scouts, and front office executives.

The Giants’ staff have been working the phones since before the draft itself ended. Coaches and scouts are hard at work, relying on the relationships they’ve built throughout the draft process to recruit priority free agents.

Unlike late-round draftees, UDFAs get to choose the team with whom they sign. So while they often have to claw their way onto the roster, UDFA’s can at least attempt to find favorable situations.

The Giants have a strong track record in undrafted free agency, recently as Elijah Chatman last year. This is an opportunity for teams to find players who slipped through the cracks yet offer skills and upside.

We’ll keep this updated with reports as we get them. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that the names linked to teams are fluid immediately after the draft.

UDFA Tracker​


Rumored Giants’ UDFA signings

  • Beaux Collins, WR, Notre Dame (Art Stapleton)
  • Dalen Cambre, WR Louisiana (Jordan Schultz)
  • Makari Paige, S, Michigan (Art Stapleton)
  • Da’Quan Felton, WR, Virginia Tech (Melo)
  • Trace Ford, DL, Oklahoma (Shupe)
  • Jordan Bly, WR, Gardner-Webb (Wilson)
  • Jermaine Terry, TE, Oregon State (Ryan Fowler)
  • RJ Delancy III, CB, Wisconsin (Schultz)
  • Nate McCollum, WR, North Carolina (Wilson)
  • Tommy McCormick, DB, Idaho (Idaho Football)
  • Antwane ‘Juice’ Wells, WR, Ole Miss (Pulli)
  • Jaison Williams, OL, Youngstown State (Stapleton)
  • O’Donnell Fortune, CB, South Carolina (Garafolo)

Rookie camp invites

  • Jimmy Holiday, WR, Louisiana Tech (Wilson)
  • Blake Arnoult, LS, Coastal Carolina (Wilson)
  • Ja’Khi Douglas, WR, Florida State (Melo)
  • Isaiah Mcelvane, DB, Louisiana Tech (LA Tech Football)
  • Redd Douglas, WR, University of Findlay (Findlay Football)
  • Erik Andersen, OL, Western University (Dunk)
  • Jeremiah Ojo, DL, Université de Montréal (Dunk)
  • RJ Perry, OT, USF (USF)
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/4/...nts-udfa-signings-tracker-rookie-camp-invites
 
Giants UDFAs: Get to know Makari Paige, S, Michigan

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 30 Michigan at Ohio State

Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Can Paige crack the Giants’ safety depth chart?

The New York Giants did a good job of reinforcing their secondary in free agency, but didn’t invest highly in the secondary in the draft. Instead, they brought in four defensive backs with their class of undrafted free agents, in addition to drafting Korie Black in the seventh round.

Michigan safety Makari Paige has an intriguing blend of size, speed, and experience. Will that be enough for him to make the Giants’ 2025 roster?

What does he bring?​


The biggest thing Paige brings with him is experience.

He’s a red-shirt senior who’s played in 38 games over the last three seasons, and has been playing in “NFL” defenses since 2021. Mike Macdonald (Ravens’ DC turned Seahawks head coach) called the defense in 2021, Jesse Minter (now Los Angeles Charger defensive coordinator) called the Wolverines’ defense in 2022 and 2023, and finally Wink Martindale ran the defense in 2024. Paige is coming to the NFL with plenty of experience in three different, and sophisticated, defenses.

Kent Lee Platte | RAS.football

Paige is a little light for a strong safety at 197 pounds, but his size and speed jump out at you. He has rare length for the position at 6-foot-3, with 32½-inch arms (and 10½-inch hands), as well as 4.52-40-yard dash speed, both of which are very good for the position. Paige can cover a lot of ground and his length should allow him to cover a relatively large area around himself.

On the field, Paige seems to process quickly when coming downhill and takes solid angles to the ball in run support. He’s rangy enough to play deep coverage zones in Cover 2 or Cover 3, and also big enough to play as a box safety in the second level.

That said, he’s a high-cut athlete and his change of direction skills are limited. He doesn’t have the agility to match up with receivers in man coverage, and can lose his balance if he has to change direction very suddenly.

Can he stick?​


The fact that Paige plays safety could be a mark in his favor. The Giants have Tyler Nubin and Javon Holland set at the top of the depth chart and Dane Belton should probably be penciled in as their third safety.

From there? The Giants have Anthony Johnson Jr. and Raheem Layne at safety. If the Giants choose to carry more than three safeties, Paige could have a solid chance of beating the fringe veterans for a spot. He’ll also be in competition with fellow UDFA South Carolina cornerback O’Donnell Fortune, who could be viewed as a “defensive back”.

As with all of these players, Paige’s path to the roster is going to depend on his special teams play. His background as a defensive back, as well as his speed and willingness to come downhill and hit could bode well for his chances.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/4/24422933/giants-udfas-get-to-know-makari-paige-s-michigan
 
Forget what Shedeur Sanders did wrong, here is what Jaxson Dart did right for the Giants

NFL: Combine

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Joe Schoen sheds more light on why the Giants chose the Ole Miss QB

There has been a lot of discussion post-NFL draft about the things Shedeur Sanders did not do correctly prior to the draft that contributed to the New York Giants passing on him. In a new post from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Giants GM Joe Schoen shed more light on the things Jaxson Dart did right, things that helped convince the Giants to trade up and select him No. 25 overall.

Breer had detailed during a recent podcast appearance how Sanders botched learning an install package given to him by the Giants.

“And there are mistakes intentionally put in the install. He didn’t catch them and got called on it, and it didn’t go well after that,’ Breer revealed, adding, ‘He was p***ed that they did that to him.”
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On the other hand, Dart aced the same test.

“Everybody has a different way to learn,” Schoen says. “So if you know how you learn, and what you need to do to get the information to be able to execute it, that’s part of the process, too. Does this person know how to teach himself new material, and then be able to execute it, regurgitate it and talk about it the following day? Jaxson did a really good job with it. He had his process to lead him to that point—all these guys are trying to figure that out. …”
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Breer also said that the Giants put each quarterback they worked out privately through the identical on-field drills and Dart “threw the ball well in comparison to his peers.”

Schoen indicated to Breer that there was one other personality thing that he latched on to with Dart, something he noticed while watching him play in person last fall:

“What really stands out about Jaxson is his passion for the game, leadership amongst his teammates and how he can cross sides of the ball,” Schoen says. “Like, he’s not just sitting over with the offense the entire time. You see him interacting with the defense as well. That’s a big part of the live exposure—you have a bad throw, or you have a three-and-out, you come over to the sideline, who are you interacting with? Which coaches? Are you talking to your receivers? Are you talking to your line? Are you by yourself? Are you not?

“You get back up, go to the sideline and watch the defense out there. Those are all things that we’re watching and evaluating.”
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There is much more in the Breer piece. Some of it we have already discussed as Schoen gave us those details the night he drafted Dart, but there are a few more tidbits of information worth reading in the full Breer post.
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Source: https://www.bigblueview.com/2025/5/...axson-dart-did-right-for-the-giants-nfl-draft
 
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