The New York Giants had the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in their hands until quarterback Drew Lock had a stellar performance in Week 17.
The Giants defeated the Indianapolis Colts 45-33, destroying their chances of landing the top selection. Instead, New York’s front office holds the No. 3 pick behind the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns.
It’s rather obvious the Titans will select a quarterback with rumors swirling about Tennessee’s preference for Miami’s Cam Ward. This leaves Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders on the board with the Browns on the clock. Considering Cleveland still has three-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson under contract, there’s no telling which route the Browns want to go.
NFL Insider Proposes Mega Trade Between Giants and Browns
Assuming Cleveland prefers to select Sanders’ teammate, Travis Hunter, or another star, it makes a lot of sense to swap picks with New York.
NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY proposes New York sends Cleveland the No. 3 pick, a third-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, and their first-round pick next year for the No. 2 spot.
“General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are on notice. Co-owner John Mara made that abundantly clear during his postseason meeting with the media. He also stressed the need to get a franchise quarterback. The only way to guarantee that: Trade up,” Hughes wrote. “There is a chance this pick isn’t even for sale. The Browns announced the day after their season ended that there was a setback with Deshaun Watson’s Achilles.”
Sanders is an obvious choice for the Giants at No. 2. He and Ward are the consensus top two QBs in a relatively weak QB class. The Buffaloes QB finished the 2024 campaign with 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
The Giants Aren’t the Only Team That Adds Firepower in This Deal
Hughes made note of the strongest argument against the Browns moving the pick, Watson’s injury concerns and struggles in Cleveland. He recorded 3,365 passing yards for 19 touchdowns over the course of his first three seasons with the team.
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) January 11, 2025
However, even if Cleveland drops a single selection, they still have the chance to add a superstar prospect in Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.
“Carter might very well be the best player in this draft,” Hughes wrote. “He was dynamic for Penn State this past season with 22 tackles for a loss and 12 sacks. There are several areas Cleveland could go here, but putting Carter opposite Myles Garrett would be deadly.”
Garrett and Carter could be a top-tier defensive duo in a short time. This tandem could wreak havoc league-wide, similar to how Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter impacted the Houston Texans’ defense this season.
The difference is Garrett is a former Defensive Player of the Year and four-time first-team All-Pro edge rusher.