Surprising Quarterback Prospect Named as 'Best Fit' for Giants

As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, it's looking like the New York Giants will not select a quarterback with the third overall selection if general manager Joe Schoen’s statements about not feeling pressured to force a pick at the position at that point in the draft. 

But what about Day 2 or even Day 3? That could still be on the table, Shoen said, if the value matches where the Giants are when they go on the clock. 

One under-the-radar prospect who hasn’t been linked to the Giants much during this year’s mock draft season is Notre Dame signal caller Riley Leonard, whom Derrik Klassen of The Athletic [subscription] thinks would make for a surprise pick.

Leonard was once a multi-year starter with the Duke Blue Devils before transferring to the Irish ahead of the 2024 season. 

As the Irish's field general, Leonard led the program to its first national championship appearance in over a decade, amassing 3.776 yards of all-purpose offense and 38 combined touchdowns (21 via the air and 17 as a rusher). 

Klassen shed further insight on why the Giants' investing in Leonard makes the most sense for its organization: 

Klasssen’s ability as a runner, combined with his athleticism and arm talent, makes him a prototypical quarterback prospect for Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s offensive system. 

The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Leonard has proven to be a weapon on designed runs and the red zone, and while his throwing game needs some more refinement, he has a lot of upside that a quarterback whisperer such as Daboll could very well be the one to unlock. 

Interestingly, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has been linked to the Giants for the very same traits Leonard possesses. 

However, Leonard doesn’t quite have the arm strength or accuracy of Milroe, which is probably why not many people have linked Leonard to the Giants. 

Leonard did toss the ball a career-best 408 times to end his college career with a career-best 66.7 completion percentage. However, the tape showed his inability to consistently drive the ball downfield or make accurate, tight-window throws. 

Unfortunately, his tape also showed that several completions were schemed to cut the field in half and focused on the high-percentage plays. 

Some have mentioned Leonard in the same breath as Taysom Hill of the Saints, given his athleticism and ability to multitask at a high level. Perhaps if there is an offense looking for a gadget player with Leonard’s skill set, that’s where he’d be a good fit.

The Giants might be better off taking a flyer on Will Howard from Ohio State or Kyle McCord from Syracuse. Both have stronger arms and enough athleticism to get the job done.  

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