NEW YORK GIANTS

NFL Football Futures Odds:

To Win Super Bowl +15000 (150-1)
To Win NFC Championship +5500
To Win NFC East +2200
Regular Season Wins -- Over 5.5 Wins +115, Under 5.5 Wins -145

It has become somewhat customary over the years for fans of the New York Giants to ask "what were they thinking?" after the NFL Draft. To be fair, they have hit on some pretty strong picks early, namely edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, tackle Andrew Thomas, wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Saquon Barkley. But they haven't developed quantity of quality in their selections that would allow them to stand up and look the better teams in the NFC East in the eye.

Well, right now things don't look too bad for Big Blue after the 2025 draft haul. But there is the question as to whether the residual effect of all this will allow head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen to hold onto their jobs.

Will Abdul Carter turn out to be the best player from this draft?

Let's face it - with the third overall pick, the result of a 3-14 season, they couldn't go too far wrong. They knew that the acquisition of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston meant they didn't have to offer draft capital to deal themselves to #1 for QB Cam Ward. And most people would generally agree that there were three outstanding players at the top, which, in addition to Ward, also included two-way star Travis Hunter and edge Abdul Carter.

So after Ward (Tennessee) and Hunter (Jacksonville, by way of a trade with Cleveland) were taken, Carter came right into the Giants' lap. And they were delighted to wind up with the player many felt was the best in the entire draft, and a future All-Pro.

His presence immediately makes this team more formidable on the stop end, because the Giants can count on getting more pressure on the quarterback. We know that Carter is going to be disruptive; we're just not certain HOW disruptive he's going to be.

If he can perform even remotely near the level of another Nittany Lion, Micah Parsons, it's going to make a tangible difference in the overall result for the Giants

These guys have a chance to be extremely worrisome for opposing passers. Both Thibodeaux and Brian Burns in ranked in the top 20 last year in Pass Rush Win Rate for edge defenders, according to ESPN Analytics.

Giants made the futures bet on a QB they like

Carter is the guy who can help the Giants immediately. But the team placed a long-term bet with its other first-round pick. In the process of conducting interviews with potential quarterbacks, Brian Daboll was said to have gotten turned off by Shadeur Sanders, who was arrogant and seemingly unprepared to digest some of the offensive concepts that are particular to the pro game. And we are relatively certain Sanders encountered similar problems with other teams.

By contrast, Jaxson Dart, who was considered a borderline first-rounder by many, was right on the mark, as far as Daboll was concerned. They'd already seen plenty of tape on him, and he was ultra-impressive in the interview.

In fact, the Giants were impressed enough, and worried enough about losing a shot at him, that they swung a deal with Houston, giving up the 34th and 99th picks this year and a third-rounder next year, to move up to the #25 spot.

Dart began his collegiate career at USC, but when Lincoln Riley came in, and brought Caleb Williams with him, he took off for Ole Miss, where he spent three years under the accomplished Lane Kiffin. Last season, in the process of being a 69% passer, he threw for 4279 yards and 29 touchdowns, throwing just six interceptions. Dart, who averaged 10.8 yards an attempt, threw 17 TD passes of 20 or more years, more than anyone in the nation.

One of the things that pops out to everyone about Dart is that he is extremely confident and competitive. His principal target at Ole Miss, Tre Harris, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers, told the New York Post, "Jaxson does not want anyone to be better than him. He's going to do whatever he can do to be in the best possible position."

Has Dart been a "system" quarterback? Well, that might be a legitimate question. But one must admit there is a period of adjustment with almost any QB who transitions to the NFL. Dart played a lot of RPO at Ole Miss, and he is projected to be someone who can work through play action very effectively.

And I guess that segues us into another Giants draft choice . . .

Bet NFL Football Futures at one of these top rated sportsbooks!

Nothing scatter-brained about drafting Skattebo

In retrospect (and I guess in every respect), the failure to retain Saquon Barkley was a mistake on the part of the Giants' front office. That he went on to rush for over 2000 yards with the Super Bowl champion Eagles was perceived as something of an embarrassment to the organization.

The team had to its best to rebuild the running back room. The people they have are adequate - Tyrone Tracy, who was picked in the fifth round out of Purdue last year, wound up with 839 yards. Devin Singletary has been at least serviceable for Buffalo and Houston before he landed in the Meadowlands.

Cam Skattebo was selected in the fourth round, not necessarily to be the featured back, but to be a useful member of the rotation. Skattebo, who transferred from Sacramento State to Arizona State for his last two seasons, was possibly the second best back in the country last year (to Boise State'a Ashton Jeanty), with 1711 yards on the ground and 605 in pass receptions. Not a speed merchant, he operates as a power runner, carrying people with him.

He is, quite simply, the kind of player everyone seems to love, because he gives the impression that he would lay himself out on the field in order to win. He's a plugger; his role will likely be situational but it certainly could grow. And with the personality he shows on the field, he could have a lot of value on special teams.

There were other picks for the Giants, of course. Darius Alexander, a defensive tackle from Toledo, was the 65th overall selection. He could help with the run defense, which was found wanting in 2024. In the fifth round they took Marcus Mbow of Purdue; he could be in the mix at either guard or tackle.

What to expect from the NY Giants in 2025

Russell Wilson (who has been announced as the starter) and Jameis Winston were brought aboard to add the veteran element to the quarterback position. And it ensures that they won't have to rush Dart to be the starter. So he can exist as the "quarterback of the future."

There is some talent along the defensive front (remember that Dexter Lawrence and Bobby Okereke are also a part of the group), and it is clear that they are going to be looking for that unit to win games for them.

And you know what? That might be the case. Of course, the Giants won't win the NFC East. And they aren't likely to be seen as a wild card. But winning more than 5.5 games (i.e., six or more) is doable, with the price tag of +115.

Abdul Carter is +250 to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at BetOnline, where you've got plenty of NFL Futures wagers to look through in advance of the 2025 season...... It's very easy to sign up for an account; use your debit or credit card, or choose any of sixteen different cryptocurrency options they have available, including Bitcoin!