What the Russell Wilson signing means for New York Giants in 2025 NFL Draft

Does signing Russell Wilson change the calculus for the Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft?

Russell Wilson is riding to the Big Apple.

Late in the afternoon on Tuesday word broke that the veteran quarterback was putting pen to paper on a one-year deal with the New York Giants worth up to $21 million, with $10.5 million fully guaranteed. Wilson, coming off one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, joins a quarterback room with Tommy DeVito and the recently acquired Jameis Winston.

What might this move mean for the Giants’ decision at No. 3 in the first round?

It might mean nothing, or it might mean everything.

Let’s work through their options

Stay at three and take the best player available

By adding Wilson and Winston to the roster, Joe Schoen has given himself some flexibility with the quarterback room.

Should the Giants not like a quarterback in this draft, or if their favorite options are not available when they are on the clock, Schoen at least can pivot to different positions or other areas of need.

Or perhaps the proverbial “best player available.”

Reading the tea leaves — as our own James Dator did recently — it seems the Tennessee Titans are zeroing in on quarterback Cam Ward with the first-overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Assuming he indeed goes off the board at No. 1, the Cleveland Browns are on the clock with a need at quarterback, but two tremendous talents in Travis Hunter Jr. and Abdul Carter are available.

The Browns can only pick one, not all three.

Perhaps Cleveland addresses their own quarterback woes with Shedeur Sanders, perhaps not. The Browns have already added Kenny Pickett to their quarterback room, and rumors are swirling that they may not be done adding veterans, with Kirk Cousins linked to Cleveland. The Browns could decide to go the veteran route, passing on Sanders and picking either Hunter or Carter.

Which would leave the other available for Schoen at No. 3.

Adding either player would offer a further upgrade to a defense that has seen some additions already in free agency. Given the Giants’ wide receiver room, picking Hunter would likely see New York utilize him primarily as a cornerback, where he would join Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland, two players added during free agency. You could also imagine Brian Daboll would love to have a package of plays for Hunter on the offensive side of the ball, along with Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson in the WR room.

Or, if it is Hunter who comes off the board to Cleveland at No. 2, New York could add Carter to a defensive line that already features Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants face a decision on Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, and while he posted a career-high in sacks in 2023, his production dipped a season ago. Still, three talented pass rushers up front is never a bad thing, and adding Carter would give the Giants some flexibility if they decide to move on from Thibodeaux after 2025.

Trade out of No. 3

Again, with the working assumption that the Titans are drafting Ward with the first pick, that means that one of the Hunter/Carter/Sanders trio will be available at No. 3.

Would a team be willing to trade up, and should Schoen entertain the idea?

The first question might be a bit tougher to answer — although you can imagine scenarios where teams would love to jump to No. 3 for Hunter, or where a team left standing when the music stops in the game of “veteran QB musical chairs” moves up for a shot at Sanders if he is available.

But as to the second question, Schoen should at least entertain the idea. This is a team that finished 3-14 a season ago and could improve at several positions. While the Giants have eight draft picks in this class and have made some additions in free agency, the more talent they acquire, the better.

If the scenario presents itself, and a team is willing to pay a premium to get to No. 3, Schoen should at least entertain the idea.

Stay at three and take a QB

This is the “adding Wilson and Winston really does not change a thing” option.

Adding the two veterans has given the Giants some time at the quarterback position, and potential bridges to the next potential face of the franchise. But with both Wilson and Winston signed to one-year deals, the Giants are not committed to either QB beyond 2025.

Certainly it is reasonable to see this news and assume that the Giants are not looking QB at 3 (or expect that both Ward and Sanders will be off the board by then) but again, these veteran additions give them flexibility. They can sit and take the best player available, or they can add a quarterback at No. 3 and make life a little easier for them.

Sure, if the Giants draft Sanders at No. 3 there will be pressure to play him sooner rather than later — say, the first three-and-out in Week 1 — but having two veterans allows the coaching staff in New York a long runway towards turning the keys over to a rookie QB. It would also allow Sanders a season to learn under two veterans, and while there is no substitute for hands-on experience, there are recent examples of QBs benefiting from a redshirt season in the NFL.

Some might say that this move indicates just how the Giants feel about this quarterback class, and a willingness to punt the QB decision to 2026. But this is the proverbial “grass is always greener” line of thinking. Yes, on paper, the 2026 QB class might be intriguing with players like Drew Allar, Nico Iamaleava, Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik and yes, Arch Manning potentially in the mix.

However, there is a long way to go, and a lot of football left to be played. Sure the Giants could wait for 2026, but if that group of prospects does not pan out, you have lost an opportunity to have a QB in the building and learning for a year, and now the cycle will begin anew.

Of course, this line of thinking assumes that a quarterback — Sanders if we believe the smoke around Tennessee — is available. Should the Browns surprise everyone and the draft begins QB-QB, we can circle back to the first two options.

But if a QB is available, adding Wilson and Winston should not preclude the Giants from drafting a quarterback.

Ultimately, this part of the analysis might depend on just how confident Schoen is about his own job security.

Would he draft a player with an eye towards 2026, if he might not be there to reap the reward?