The New York Giants had an impactful draft in 2025, one that saved the job of flailing general manager Joe Schoen and ended up attracting a top head coaching talent such as John Harbaugh.
In the recent ranking of every NFL team’s rookie class, NFL.com gave the Giants an A- grade.
Three of the Giants’ first four picks were essentially starting by the end of September. And all three of those players are fun. But they’re also scary.
He’s right. The Giants’ top two picks, linebacker Abdul Carter and quarterback Jaxson Dart, both showed flashes of inexperience along with flickers of what greatness is to come.
The fun part: The edge blur led the entire league with 48 quick pressures (under 2.5 seconds, per Next Gen Stats).
The scary part: Carter was benched twice for behavior that Dexter Lawrence termed “hard-headed,” with the three-time Pro Bowler imploring his young teammate to “just grow up, really.”
Dart did not have the behavioral issues that Carter did, but threw the entire organization for a loop with his reckless play, putting his health in jeopardy all too often.
The fun part: His dual-threat ability and undeniable swagger, both of which were on full display in New York’s shocking prime-time beatdown of Philadelphia.
The scary part: His proud refusal to protect himself, causing frequent trips to the blue tent in Year 1 while raising serious concerns about his long-term viability.
Fourth-round pick Cam Skattebo, a running back whose throwback, smashmouth style captured the imagination of football fans everywhere, saw his season cut short after seven games with an ankle injury.
Felice’s analysis is dead on. When Skattebo was rolling, the Giants looked unstoppable: “A fearless play style that’s as infectious as his animated personality, with bell-cow ability as a runner and receiver.”
But those times didn’t last very long. After knocking Tyrone Tracy, Jr. from the No. 1 running back role, Skattebo was felled by an injury befitting his volatile style of play:
A gnarly leg injury — dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and ruptured deltoid ligament — that ended his rookie campaign before Halloween, only increasing doubts about the NFL shelf life of his gutsy game.
The 2025 draft class also included two possible stalwarts for the trenches in defensive tackle Darius Alexander and offensive lineman Marcus Mbow. Both got a chance to play more as the season wore on.
The Giants could sure use another strong showing at the draft table this spring. With a new coaching staff led by John Harbaugh, things are about to get even more interesting in East Rutherford.
