NFL Draft 2025: Who will Giants take at No. 3? Who should they select? Here are our final picks

The 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday night.

This is a franchise-altering evening for the Giants and Joe Schoen, their hot-seat fourth-year general manager.

Schoen probably will have to choose between edge rusher Abdul Carter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 3 (presuming he doesn’t trade back), since Cam Ward and Travis Hunter figure to be gone by then.

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So what will Schoen do with the third pick? And what should he do?

Here are our final thoughts on both of those questions, given the assumption that Ward and Hunter will go first and second:

RYAN NOVOZINSKY

What Giants should do: It’s far from perfect, but Schoen found a stopgap solution at quarterback this offseason. This should allow him take Carter — the best player in the draft. It’s understandable why Giants fans crave a long-term answer at quarterback. Watching Daniel Jones for six seasons will do that to any fan base. But in a quarterback class this weak, you have to go with the best player available — which is clearly Carter. Passing on him is the kind of decision franchises regret for decades.

What Giants will do: Carter will be a Giant. The Penn State edge rusher has the potential to be a generational consolation prize for not getting a long-term quarterback at No. 3. He has elite quickness and balance. And he bursts through opposing linemen like nobody else in college football. Giants fans will flock to get his jersey.

DARRYL SLATER

What Giants should do: With Ward and Hunter off the board, Carter is the clear-cut best player available at No. 3. Schoen should pick him, even though he already has one excellent edge rusher (Brian Burns) and another pretty good one (Kayvon Thibodeaux). In 2025 and beyond, the Giants probably will need to lean into winning with defense. And Carter would be another important piece in that mission.

What Giants will do: Might as well make a bold (but not really insane) prediction here. Schoen will take Sanders at No. 3. Sanders obviously is not a better overall prospect than Carter. But the Giants’ biggest issue is their glaring need for a long-term franchise quarterback solution. Yes, this is a bad offseason (and draft) to be desperate for a quarterback, as the Giants are (because of Schoen’s mistakes). Yet the reality remains: Sanders will be the best quarterback available for the Giants at No. 3. And the only way they can make sure they get him is to take him there.

Shedeur Sanders is +750 on BetMGM to be the third overall pick in the NFL Draft. Our complete BetMGM Sportsbook review shows you how to use their platform.

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Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com.