There was some question about how the Giants would proceed in the 2025 NFL draft, but perhaps put to rest their pressing need for a quarterback after signing veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. When asked about New York drafting a quarterback at some point, GM Joe Schoen responded that it’s no longer “mandatory” for them to take a player at the position.
“With the signing of those two players, we put ourselves in a position where I don’t think that’s mandatory,” Schoen said, via Albert Breer. “We’re happy with the makeup of the room right now.”
Schoen added he’s not going to force any picks and will take a player of the “value matches up” with where they are on the board.
“Yeah, if the value matches up with what we have on a player. (But) I’m not going to force it if it’s not the right value. If the board lines up when we’re on the clock, we’ll go with it. I’m not going to be backed into a corner on that,” Schoen said, per Ralph Vacchiano.
Although Schoen would like a “young franchise quarterback,” he reiterated he has to be the right value.
“You would like to have a young franchise quarterback, but the value has to be right. You get that one wrong …. (pauses)… You just have to be right,” Schoen said, via Vacchiano.
The Giants have done extensive work on quarterbacks ahead of this year’s draft and have held private workouts or visits with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, Louisville QB Tyler Shough, and Alabama QB Jalen Milroe.
Earlier this week, Breer said he has “serious doubts” about Sanders being selected within the first three picks and could fall out of the first round altogether.
He wrote the Browns at No. 2 and the Giants at No. 3 don’t seem like they’re targeting Sanders at those slots, as both have made multiple additions to their quarterback room this offseason that make it look like they’re setting up a competition, not building a room to support a rookie starter.
At his introductory press conference, Wilson said that he expects to be the team’s starting quarterback.
“Yeah, I expect to be the starter and come in here and be ready to rock and roll every day,” Wilson said, via PFT.
Wilson, 36, is a former third-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2012. He was entering the final year of his five-year, $89.142 million contract when the Seahawks signed him to a four-year, $140 million extension that included a $65 million signing bonus.
The Seahawks traded him to the Broncos in 2022 in a blockbuster deal. Wilson stood to make base salaries of $19 million and $22 million over the final two years of his deal when he agreed to a new five-year, $245 million extension that included $165 million in guaranteed money.
However, Wilson didn’t even reach the new portion of his deal before being released by the Broncos, who absorbed a record $85 million dead cap hit. The Steelers later signed him to a one-year contract for the veteran minimum.
In 2024, Wilson appeared in 11 games for the Steelers and completed 63.7 percent of his pass attempts for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He added 43 carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
Sanders, 22, was a two-year starter at Jackson State before transferring to Colorado before the 2023 season.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has compared him to QB Geno Smith.
In two years at Colorado, Sanders completed 71.8 percent of his pass attempts for 7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 24 career games, adding eight more scores on the ground.
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