Let's face it: it hasn't been easy being a New York Giants fan the last few years. In fact, since 2011 - the year they won Super Bowl 46 - the Jints have made the postseason twice and have one playoff victory to show for it. You can certainly appreciate the fact that going into the 2025 NFL Draft, the expectations among the fanbase were somewhere between guarded and skeptical.
So let me just say, as someone who's seen his fair share of drafts over the years, I think this might be the most surgically precise one the Giants have had since 2005; the year they took Corey Webster (43), Justin Tuck (74) and Brandon Jacobs (110). Any time you can walk away with what many considered the most physically dominant edge rusher in a decade, a future starting quarterback, a damn good defensive tackle, a power running back, an offensive tackle that can play guard and a tight end you had yourself one helluva weekend.
Talk about checking all the boxes.
Abdul Carter was the player Joe Schoen was hoping would be there at three and, sure enough, he was. The guy is a freight train whose specialty is making quarterbacks wish they'd chosen a different profession. Imagine what that this Giants defensive line is going to look like with him on one end, Kayvon Thibodeaux on the other and Dexter Lawrence in the middle.
Jaxson Dart was the player Brain Daboll wanted from day one. And now the guy that coached Josh Allen in Buffalo finally gets his quarterback. Daboll has gotten a lot of heat the last two years - and deservedly so - but if he can turn Daniel Jones into a respectable signal caller, he should have no problem with a player who was considerably better at Ole Miss than Danny Dimes was at Duke. And the best part was that Schoen didn't have to reach to get him like Dave Gettleman did with Jones in 2019. Nicely played.
If the Giants elect to go with a 4-3 defense, Darius Alexander will play alongside Dexter Lawrence; if they elect to go with a 3-4, Alexander and Lawrence will platoon at nose guard. Either way, with Brian Burns, Micah McFadden and Bobby Okereke at linebacker, this front seven is going to be well stacked and very difficult to contend with.
The mystery of the 2025 NFL Draft is how Cam Skattebo managed to slip all the way to the fourth round. Nevertheless, Schoen and company were delighted he was there at 105. The Giants now have Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary in their backfield. The last time they had this many quality running backs was 2008, the year immediately after Super Bowl 42.
Marcus Mbow (pronounced Bow) will likely take over for Evan Neal at right tackle, but he can also play guard; Thomas Fidone II gives the Giants another option at tight end; and Korie Black will provide depth in the secondary.
Like I said, surgical.
Look, I realize it's still April, and April is the month where everything looks promising. But I don't think it's hyperbole to suggest that with the free agent signings Schoen has made this offseason, along with his picks in this draft, 2025 might not be such a bad year for Big Blue; in fact, it could be fairly decent.
Think about it: last season, the Giants lost eight games by a single score. If they had won four of those games, they would've finished 7-10 instead of 3-14. With an improved roster, 7-10 is certainly doable. Who knows, with a little luck, they might go 8-9 or even 9-8.
All I'm saying is that maybe, just maybe, that light at the end of the tunnel isn't a freight train after all.
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