Giants Predicted to Trade 4 Picks for Record-Setting QB

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 3:01 PM ET

The New York Giants own the No. 3 pick in an NFL draft class that has only two quarterbacks with first-round grades, which is a serious concern for a team without an answer under center after cutting ties with former starter Daniel Jones mid-season.

With limited options heading into free agency, which are exacerbated by multiple unknowns, the most certain path to a QB of the future is a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans to move into the first overall selection and recapture complete control of their future at the position.

"General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have been given one more chance to get it right in New York. I don't believe they'll spend their ninth life with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Jimmy Garoppolo or Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback," Jaime Eisner of Draft Network wrote on Sunday, Jan. 12. "That means they need to be aggressive and move up to get 'their guy.' Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell already have one in-person viewing of [Cam] Ward. The Miami quarterback's potential upside is the highest in the class."

Eisner pitched a costly trade with Tennessee that includes the Giants' picks in the first three rounds of the 2025 draft (Nos. 3, 34 and 65) as well as a second-rounder in 2026. That is a load of capital to jump only two spots, particularly for a quarterback in Ward who will be 23 years old in Week 1 of next season.

Ward was a late bloomer, though that didn't necessarily prove a negative for a couple of NFL rookie QBs this season. Both Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos are 24 and both led their teams to playoff berths. Daniels won his postseason debut, advancing to the divisional round via a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night.

That said, Ward graded out as a late Day-2/early Day-3 pick ahead of last year's draft and made a big leap after transferring to the Hurricanes for his last collegiate season. But it isn't as though Ward lacked success during his four pre-Miami campaigns, as he finished five years of college football as the all-time Division-I leader with 158 career touchdown passes.

Ward also finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2024 after producing 4,313 passing yards, 39 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions on the season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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