The New York Giants have been busy in free agency, re-signing and acquiring players in positions of need.
The team made their most important splash on Friday when they agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with quarterback Jameis Winston. General manager Joe Schoen’s top priority this offseason was to acquire at least one veteran quarterback, and he can finally cross that off his list.
Of course, the most effective way to build a team is through the draft, and Schoen will need to have a solid draft class if the Giants are going to have a successful season. Based on what the team has done in free agency, it gives us an indication of what their strategy will be for the draft.
Giants no longer need to trade up in draft to take QB
Now that the team has Winston on the roster, there’s less of an onus for the Giants to try and trade up in the 2025 NFL Draft to get either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. The 31-year-old Winston is not the team’s long-term answer at quarterback. But now the Giants have a serviceable starter for the 2025 season and are no longer in a position where they have to trade draft capital to acquire one of the top two quarterback prospects.
There’s still a good chance that either Ward or Sanders will be on the board when the team is on the clock with the third overall pick. If by any chance both quarterbacks are gone, the team may decide to trade back, acquire additional picks, and take Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart later in the first round.
Having Winston on the roster gives the team the luxury of waiting to see how the draft unfolds and whether Sanders or Ward falls to them, as opposed to needing to do whatever it takes to acquire them if they hadn’t signed Winston.
Travis Hunter less likely option at No. 3 overall
Earlier in this offseason, many mock drafts had the Giants taking Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the third overall pick in the draft. There are still a few mocks that have this scenario playing out, but most analysts feel the team will take a quarterback with their first pick.
Before the start of free agency, many felt Hunter would be a perfect option for the team since they have a plethora of holes to fill, and because Hunter can play cornerback and receiver. But the team signed Paulson Adebo, who they believe can be a shutdown corner, and they re-signed Darius Slayton to a three-year, $36 million deal.
The roles that Hunter would have filled for the team have been addressed with the acquisition of Adebo and the re-signing of Slayton. It’s still a possibility the team may draft Hunter depending on how the draft unfolds and how high he ranks on their board. However, it seems less likely now than at the start of free agency.
Giants could look to trade WR Jalin Hyatt during draft
When the Giants traded up in the third round to take Jalin Hyatt with the 73rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the belief was he would be the eventual replacement for Slayton. But in two seasons, Hyatt has been a non-factor in the offense, which is one of the reasons the team was prompted to re-sign Slayton.
The re-signing spoke volumes about how much the team values Slayton and their lack of faith in Hyatt. In addition to bringing back Slayton, the Giants also signed receivers Zach Pascal and Lil’ Jordan Humphrey. With the added depth to the Giants’ receiver room, the team may try to trade Hyatt during the draft.
Despite having just 31 receptions for 435 yards and zero touchdowns in two seasons, Hyatt is one of the fastest players in the NFL, and there will be a head coach who believes their scheme will help unleash Hyatt’s potential. Don’t be surprised if the Giants trade the 23-year-old receiver during the draft.