Insiders think Giants could make trade to draft QB Brian Daboll 'warmed to' during scouting process

On Tuesday, New York Giants beat writer Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News mentioned that Giants head coach Brian Daboll "warmed to" Jaxson Dart ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft so much that the club could trade back into the first round to grab the Ole Miss quarterback on Thursday night. 

For an update shared on Wednesday, ESPN's Dan Graziano said that "much of the chatter I've heard in the past couple of days indicates a growing impression that Giants coach Brian Daboll prefers Dart" over Colorado signal-caller Shedeur Sanders. 

"Most of the people I talk to still don't expect the Giants to take a quarterback with the third pick," Graziano explained. "The more likely outcome is that they take Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter -- whichever the Browns don't take at No. 2 -- and then try to use their second-round selection to solve their long-term QB problem."

Recent stories have suggested "that certain segments of the Giants organization want Sanders more than others." While it now seems likely Sanders will fall out of the top 10 picks of the draft, either the Browns or Pittsburgh Steelers could keep the polarizing prospect from falling to the Giants at overall pick No. 34. 

Meanwhile, ESPN's Peter Schrager thinks the Giants could send pick No. 34 and choice No. 99 to the Los Angeles Rams to move up to No. 26, where New York could select Dart. In his latest mock draft published on Wednesday, NFL Draft analyst and league insider Todd McShay of The Ringer predicted the Giants will ship pick No. 34 and selection No. 99 to the Lions for choice No. 28 to draft Dart on Thursday. 

McShay referred to Dart as "Daboll’s guy" and said the quarterback fits the coach's "mold of a sturdy, mobile quarterback who can thrive under pressure and process quickly on the move." 

While Dart may prove to be a project for the future, the Giants could sit him behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston until 2026 as long as those veterans stay healthy for all of the upcoming season. 

"With this move," McShay said, "the Giants could end the first round with arguably this year’s top prospect in Carter and Daboll’s top choice at QB — without giving up significant draft capital."

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Carter as the betting favorite at -650 odds to be the draft's third pick. Giants reporter Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes the club "won’t be able to pass on" Carter at No. 3, even though Big Blue already has pass-rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns on the roster.