With the No. 1 pick all but locked in as the Tennessee Titans selecting Cam Ward, the real intrigue in the 2025 NFL Draft begins after that. One top prospect still expected to come off the board early is Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.
The Cleveland Browns are set to pick at No. 2, followed by the New York Giants at No. 3. However, according to ESPN’s Peter Schrager, both teams have been fielding calls from other franchises looking to trade up.
“There have been phone calls made to both the Browns at two and the Giants at three with the intention to move up,” Schrager said. “There are teams who are looking to get up in this draft to either the two or the three spot.”
While Schrager didn’t name the teams involved, he did say one of the top targets in those conversations is Carter.
The Giants continue to be linked to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but in Schrager’s final mock draft, he projects New York will pass on Sanders and take Carter instead — a move that would help them avoid a repeat of a major mistake from 2021.
“In the end, the Giants passed on Micah Parsons in 2021, instead trading down and taking wide receiver Kadarius Toney,” Schrager said. “I can’t see them passing on another star pass rusher from Penn State.”
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Toney appeared in just 12 games for the Giants before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. He totaled just 420 yards and no touchdowns during his time in New York.
Meanwhile, Parsons has become one of the premier defensive players in the NFL, earning four Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro honors, and wreaking havoc for the Giants’ NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys.
The Giants remain one of the bigger wild cards in this year’s draft. With veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston already on the roster, they aren’t locked into drafting a quarterback like Sanders. On the other hand, with a defensive front that already includes Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, selecting Carter might not be a true need either.
That uncertainty has kept New York right in the middle of the pre-draft chaos — and made them one of the most intriguing teams to watch come Thursday night.