Analyst explains how Giants should react to missing out on Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders

The New York Giants' rebuilding of their quarterback room via the offseason acquisitions of Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson shouldn't prevent the club from selecting a future rookie signal-caller with the third overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

With that said, the Giants may be unable to keep the Tennessee Titans from taking Miami's Cam Ward with the first choice or stop the Cleveland Browns from grabbing Colorado's Shedeur Sanders at No. 2. 

On the latest edition of "The Athletic Football Show," ESPN NFL analyst Jordan Reid explained why he believes the Giants should draft Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter at No. 3 if they miss out on both Ward and Sanders. 

"I think he’s the best player in this draft," Reid said about Hunter. "...It’s very rare to see a guy not only play one side of the ball and be so good at it, but also go to the other side and be just as good or even better. I have him as a cornerback, but he’s so good that a lot of teams could see him as a receiver as well." 

Some previously speculated that the Giants could make Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart the draft's third pick if they can't get Ward or Sanders. However, former NFL general manager and current ESPN personality Mike Tannenbaum is among those who think a New York team coming off a 3-14 season "has too many other issues to use this pick on a third quarterback" with Winston and Wilson on the roster. 

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated suggested that the Giants should consider passing on Sanders if he falls to No. 3 because Hunter is "an ideal stylistic complement to" wide receiver and 2024 first-round draft pick Malik Nabers. 

"A scout put something to me recently that I thought was really interesting," Reid added about Hunter. "He said that a lot of people were saying Travis can’t play both ways, but he believed that he can. Just because the tempo of the game is much slower in the NFL. And what he meant by that is teams are huddling much more periodically in the NFL. ...I thought that was an interesting point that made me rethink about Travis Hunter playing both ways, because I would play him at corner full-time and sprinkle him in maybe 20 to 25 plays a game as a receiver. That scout’s point made me rethink things a little bit."

It is, of course, possible that the Browns could take either Hunter or Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter at No. 2 and that the Giants would feel they can't pass on Sanders at the third pick. If that doesn't play out, Big Blue could end the draft's first round with arguably the best overall player of this year's class.