Russell Wilson is driving to the Massive Apple.
Late within the afternoon on Tuesday phrase broke that the veteran quarterback was placing pen to paper on a one-year cope with the New York Giants price as much as $21 million, with $10.5 million absolutely assured. Wilson, coming off one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, joins a quarterback room with Tommy DeVito and the just lately acquired Jameis Winston.
What would possibly this transfer imply for the Giants’ determination at No. 3 within the first spherical?
It would imply nothing, or it’d imply the whole lot.
Let’s work by way of their choices
Keep at three and take the perfect participant accessible
By including Wilson and Winston to the roster, Joe Schoen has given himself some flexibility with the quarterback room.
Ought to the Giants not like a quarterback on this draft, or if their favourite choices are usually not accessible when they’re on the clock, Schoen at the least can pivot to totally different positions or different areas of want.
Or maybe the proverbial “greatest participant accessible.”
Studying the tea leaves — as our personal James Dator did just lately — it appears the Tennessee Titans are zeroing in on quarterback Cam Ward with the first-overall choice within the 2025 NFL Draft. Assuming he certainly goes off the board at No. 1, the Cleveland Browns are on the clock with a necessity at quarterback, however two super skills in Travis Hunter Jr. and Abdul Carter can be found.
The Browns can solely decide one, not all three.
Maybe Cleveland addresses their very own quarterback woes with Shedeur Sanders, maybe not. The Browns have already added Kenny Pickett to their quarterback room, and rumors are swirling that they is probably not performed including veterans, with Kirk Cousins linked to Cleveland. The Browns might determine to go the veteran route, passing on Sanders and choosing both Hunter or Carter.
Which would go away the opposite accessible for Schoen at No. 3.
Including both participant would provide an additional improve to a protection that has seen some additions already in free company. Given the Giants’ extensive receiver room, choosing Hunter would probably see New York make the most of him primarily as a cornerback, the place he would be a part of Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland, two gamers added throughout free company. You possibly can additionally think about Brian Daboll would like to have a package deal of performs for Hunter on the offensive facet of the ball, together with Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson within the WR room.
Or, whether it is Hunter who comes off the board to Cleveland at No. 2, New York might add Carter to a line of defense that already options Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants face a choice on Thibodeaux’s fifth-year choice, and whereas he posted a career-high in sacks in 2023, his manufacturing dipped a season in the past. Nonetheless, three gifted cross rushers up entrance isn’t a foul factor, and including Carter would give the Giants some flexibility in the event that they determine to maneuver on from Thibodeaux after 2025.
Commerce out of No. 3
Once more, with the working assumption that the Titans are drafting Ward with the primary decide, that signifies that one of many Hunter/Carter/Sanders trio can be accessible at No. 3.
Would a staff be prepared to commerce up, and may Schoen entertain the thought?
The primary query could be a bit more durable to reply — though you’ll be able to think about eventualities the place groups would love to leap to No. 3 for Hunter, or the place a staff left standing when the music stops within the recreation of “veteran QB musical chairs” strikes up for a shot at Sanders if he’s accessible.
However as to the second query, Schoen ought to at the least entertain the thought. This can be a staff that completed 3-14 a season in the past and will enhance at a number of positions. Whereas the Giants have eight draft picks on this class and have made some additions in free company, the extra expertise they purchase, the higher.
If the situation presents itself, and a staff is prepared to pay a premium to get to No. 3, Schoen ought to at the least entertain the thought.
Keep at three and take a QB
That is the “including Wilson and Winston actually doesn’t change a factor” choice.
Including the 2 veterans has given the Giants a while on the quarterback place, and potential bridges to the following potential face of the franchise. However with each Wilson and Winston signed to one-year offers, the Giants are usually not dedicated to both QB past 2025.
Actually it’s cheap to see this information and assume that the Giants are usually not wanting QB at 3 (or anticipate that each Ward and Sanders can be off the board by then) however once more, these veteran additions give them flexibility. They’ll sit and take the perfect participant accessible, or they’ll add a quarterback at No. 3 and make life a little bit simpler for them.
Positive, if the Giants draft Sanders at No. 3 there can be strain to play him sooner reasonably than later — say, the primary three-and-out in Week 1 — however having two veterans permits the teaching employees in New York an extended runway in direction of turning the keys over to a rookie QB. It might additionally enable Sanders a season to be taught beneath two veterans, and whereas there is no such thing as a substitute for hands-on expertise, there are latest examples of QBs benefiting from a redshirt season within the NFL.
Some would possibly say that this transfer signifies simply how the Giants really feel about this quarterback class, and a willingness to punt the QB determination to 2026. However that is the proverbial “grass is all the time greener” line of pondering. Sure, on paper, the 2026 QB class could be intriguing with gamers like Drew Allar, Nico Iamaleava, Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik and sure, Arch Manning doubtlessly within the combine.
Nevertheless, there’s a lengthy technique to go, and a number of soccer left to be performed. Positive the Giants might watch for 2026, but when that group of prospects doesn’t pan out, you’ve got misplaced a possibility to have a QB within the constructing and studying for a yr, and now the cycle will start anew.
After all, this line of pondering assumes {that a} quarterback — Sanders if we consider the smoke round Tennessee — is accessible. Ought to the Browns shock everybody and the draft begins QB-QB, we will circle again to the primary two choices.
But when a QB is accessible, including Wilson and Winston shouldn’t preclude the Giants from drafting a quarterback.
In the end, this a part of the evaluation would possibly depend upon simply how assured Schoen is about his personal job safety.
Would he draft a participant with a watch in direction of 2026, if he won’t be there to reap the reward?
