Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs for a touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

NY Giants Address a Huge Need in New R1 Mock Draft

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The 2025 NFL season is fast approaching the midway mark, and while there are still a ways to go before the postseason picture is settled, one thing that can be ascertained is the developing draft needs among the 32 teams.

For the New York Giants, a huge need that has developed is for a wide receiver, thanks to the realization that, with Malik Nabers out for the season with an ACL injury, the Giants really don’t have another outside threat to hang their hats on.

The new first-round mock draft by SI.com’s Daniel Flick addresses that need. Flick, who prepared the draft before the Giants' win over the Philadelphia Eagles (which dropped them from eighth to ninth in the current order), has the Giants plucking receiver Makai Lemon from USC.

“The Giants will learn plenty about 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart this season, but any lessons gleaned the rest of the way home will come without a legitimate top target due to Malik Nabers’s season-ending knee injury,” said Flick.

“Even if Nabers was healthy, New York lacks a potent complementary target to reduce the attention on its star pass catcher.”

Flick’s correct. Although the Giants went 0-3 in games in which Nabers was available for the entire game, they have since gone 2-1, and there is a very noticeable difference with him on and off the field.

With Nabers, the Giants averaged 273.3 yards of offense to 146.0 without him. In the passing game, the Giants went from 187.8 yards per game with him to 76.8 yards per game without him. And the average passing play has dropped from 6.6 yards to 5.6 yards.

So what would the 5-foot-11 Lemon bring to the table if he were to land in Giants blue?

“Lemon has been amongst college football’s best offensive weapons, ranking top 15 nationally, with 35 catches for 589 yards and five touchdowns,” Flick wrote. (Note: the stats quotes were before the Trojans’ game against Michigan, as he’s since increased his totals to 44 receptions for 682 yards and six touchdowns.)

“He’s a tremendous route runner with reliable hands, and he pairs with Ja’Kobi Lane to give USC an elite receiver duo—something he could continue with Nabers in the NFL.”

For now, however, no college receiver can help the Giants, who, per NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, have made some calls around the league to inquire about receiver help before the Nov. 4 trade deadline.

This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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