The New York Giants signed quarterback Jameis Winston to fill the veteran-sized hole in the quarterback room, providing the ability to start over and mentor a rookie quarterback. They signed quarterback Russell Wilson for the right not to draft that rookie.
The Giants have brought in two starting-caliber quarterbacks, immediately raising the floor and ceiling of the 2025 roster. Wilson, at one year and $10.5 million, was about the safest bet general manager Joe Schoen could have made for competency under center. Barring an injury, he'll be starting in September to try and make good on a win-now season to save Schoen's job, and perhaps the passer's career in the process.
But Wilson will also be asked to lead and to teach, putting his 13 years of experience to good use. That group might include a rookie quarterback with the No. 3 pick.
Both Wilson and Winston have been open to the possibility of incubating a rookie quarterback. They don't yet know whether one, presumably Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, will actually be joining.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen made a key NFL Draft admission at the NFL Owners meetings: he's not forcing anything. With two new quarterbacks in the fold, he doesn't have to.
"We can go any which direction. We can go play a game right now," Schoen said, via Jordan Raanan. "So, it doesn't force you into a corner or force you to have to take something based on needs, so gives us optionality to go many different directions."
The natural pivot from Sanders (assuming Miami's Cam Ward is already off the board) would be to take one of the class' blue-chip prospects, Colorado receiver/corner Travis Hunter or Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. One could be taken by the Cleveland Browns, complicating Schoen's decision, but he seems happy to take the top player on his board.
"We're in a position where we can take who we think is the best football player at that time," Schoen said.
"If it matches up, if the value is right, we can look at many positions and take a guy."
His comments can also be seen as a way to make a Sanders selection look better come late April. Perhaps he is feeling the pressure to take a quarterback. Cleaning house and resetting with a rookie in 2026 will be tempting if things go poorly in 2025, but asking a young passer to learn a second offense in as many years bodes well for Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll's job security.
Saying New York will take its top player, and subsequently choosing Sanders over Hunter or Carter, works to inflate the perception of the quarterback, regardless of where he is on Schoen's board.
Related: Will Russell Wilson Mentor Giants Rookie?
"Yeah, if you're talking about where we're picking, you'd like that guy to be able to be a franchise quarterback that you can win with, you're winning the NFC East every year," Schoen said. "The ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl if you're taking a guy that high, so they have to be able to check [all] those boxes."
The football world doesn't yet know if Schoen believes he checks those boxes, but it does know that the Giants – more than any other team – have been connected to Sanders throughout the process.
Whether that interest manifests itself on the draft card is yet to be seen. With two capable quarterbacks on the roster, Schoen has all the justification he needs to pivot away from a passer, regardless of how the board falls.
Related: Giants Pick Winston's Competition in Two-Round Mock
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This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 10:55 AM.