It has been a decade of futility for the New York Giants franchise. The team has reached the playoffs twice since 2015, with only two finishes above .500. Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Giants need impact players throughout their roster. Some experts believe the Giants are leaning toward using the No. 3 pick on a skill position player. Many believe the pick would have been used on a quarterback. However, as the smoke from free agency clears, New York may be moving entirely in a different direction after signing veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.
One NFL analyst believes this is an opportunity for the franchise to make a bold pick and to right a wrong from its recent past.
NFL Analyst Urges Giants to Make Bold, Franchise-Changing Move at No. 3 in NFL Draft
The Giants selected Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick of the 2018 draft. The former Penn State standout rushed for 5,211 yards with the franchise over six seasons. Barkley’s stint included three 1,000-yard campaigns but was also marred by injuries.
In 2024, Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles; the rest is history. Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, leading Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory.
According to the latest PFSN NFL mock draft, the New York Giants are projected to select two position star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter from the University of Colorado.
However, NFL Network analyst Mike Garafolo believes New York should pursue their running back of the future and help Giants fans forget about Barkley’s free agency departure.
“This is not a report by me,” Garafolo said. “This is an opinion. You know what they should do? Ashton Jeanty. The Boise State running back at No. 3. Everything I hear about him, like there was talk is he a top 10 pick. That’s over. It’s now, is he a top-five pick? And I think the answer might wind up being yes. By the way, you could see some jockeying position for Ashton Jeanty but [Giants Owner] John Mara you’d get your popular player right back at that position.
“He’d have an impact. We’re starting to see teams value the running back even more. I would absolutely consider it. Now they were there at his pro day but not out en masse the way they were at other the ones, so I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
Seeing Barkley dominate the NFL last season had to be a tough pill for Giants fans to swallow, especially in the same division. The Giants’ top two running backs on the depth chart are Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary.
Tracy Jr., a 2024 fifth-round pick, had a successful rookie season rushing for 839 yards and five touchdowns on 189 carries. Singletary, a six-year veteran, has rushed for 4,486 career yards and was once a feature back. But the allure of Jeanty, at least on paper, would provide an immediate upgrade in the backfield.
Selecting Jeanty, who ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in his final collegiate season, would bring in a player with elite playmaking ability, and that’s precisely the type of player the Giants have been missing.